must be as well seen also in the nature of Metals Minerals Gems and Stones Furthermore what cunning he must have in the art of Distillation which follows and resembles the showers and dew of heaven as the daughter the mother I think no man will doubt of it for it yeelds daily very strange inventions and most witty devices and shews how to finde out many things profitable for the use of man As for example to draw out of things dewy vapours unsavoury and gross sents or spirits clots and gummy or slimy humours and that intimate essence which lurks in the inmost bowels of things to fetch it forth and sublimate it that it may be of the greater strength And this he must learn to do not after a rude and homely manner but with knowledge of the causes and reasons thereof He must also know the Mathematical Sciences and especially Astrologie for that shews how the Stars are moved in the heavens and what is the cause of the darkning of the Moon and how the Sun that golden planet measures out the parts of the world and governs it by twelve Signes for by the sundry motions and aspects of the heavens the celestial bodies are very beneficial to the earth and from thence many things receive both active and passive powers and their manifold properties the difficulty of which point long troubled the Platonicks mindes how these inferiour things should receive influence from heaven Moreover he must be skilful in the Opticks that he may know how the sight may be deceived and how the likeness of a vision that is seen in the water may be seen hanging without in the air by the help of certain Glasses of divers fashions and how to make one see that plainly which is a great way off and how to throw fire very far from us upon which sleights the greatest part of the secrecies of Magick doth depend These are the Sciences which Magick takes to her self for servants and helpers and he that knows not these is unworthy to be named a Magician He must be a skilful workman both by natural gifts and also by the practise of his own hands for knowledge without practice and workmanship and practice without knowledge are nothing worth these are so linked together that the one without the other is but vain and to no purpose Some there are so apt for these enterprises even by the gifts of Nature that God may seem to have made them hereunto Neither yet do I speak this as if Art could not perfect any thing for I know that good things may be made better and there are means to remedy and help foward that which lacks perfection First let a man consider and prepare things providently and skilfully and then let him fall to work and do nothing unadvisedly This I thought good to speak of that if at any time the ignorant be deceived herein he may not lay the fault upon us but upon his own unskilfulness for this is the infirmity of the scholar and not of the teacher for if rude and ignorant men shall deal in these matters this Science will be much discredited and those strange effects will be accounted hap-hazard which are most certain and follow their necessary cause If you would have your works appear more wonderful you must not let the cause be known for that is a wonder to us which we see to be done and yet know not the cause of it for he that knows the causes of a thing done doth not so admire the doing of it and nothing is counted unusual and rare but onely so far forth as the causes thereof are not known Aristotle in his books of Handy-trades saith that master-builders frame and make their tools to work with but the principles thereof which move admiration those they conceal A certain man put out a candle and putting it to a stone or a wall lighted it again and this seemed to be a great wonder but when once they perceived that he touched it with brimstone then saith Galen it ceased to seem a wonder A miracle saith Ephesius is dissolved by that wherein it seemed to be a miracle Lastly the professor of this Science must also be rich for if we lack money we shall hardly work in these cases for it is not Philosophy that can make us rich we must first be rich that we may play the Philosophers He must spare for no charges but be prodigal in seeking things out and while he is busie and careful in seeking he must be patient also and think it not much to recal many things neither must he spare for any pains for the secrets of Nature are not revealed to lazie and idle persons Wherefore Epicharmus said very well that men purchase all things at Gods hands by the price of their labour And if the effect of thy work be not answerable to my description thou must know that thy self hast failed in some one point or another for I have set down these things briefly as being made for wrtty and skilful workmen and not for rude and young beginners CHAP. IV. The opinions of the antient Philosophers touching the causes of strange operations and first of the Elements THose effects of Nature which oft-times we behold have so imployed the antient Philosophers minds in the searching forth of their causes that they have taken great pains and yet were much deceived therein insomuch that divers of them have held divers opinions which it shall not be amiss to relate before we proceed any farther The first sort held that all things proceed from the Elements and that these are the first beginnings of things the fire according to Hippasus Metapontinus and Heraclides Ponticus the air according to Diogenes Apolloniates and Anaximenes and the water according to Thales Milesius These therefore they held to be the very original and first seeds of Nature even the Elements simple and pure bodies whereas the Elements that now are be but counterfeits and bastards to them for they are all changed every one of them being more or less medled with one another those say they are the material principles of a natural body and they are moved and altered by continual succession of change and they are so wrapt up together within the huge cope of heaven that they fill up this whole space of the world which is situate beneath the Moon for the fire being the lightest and purest Element hath gotten up aloft and chose it self the highest room which they call the element of fire The next Element to this is the Air which is somwhat more weighty then the fire and it is spread abroad in a large and huge compass and passing through all places doth make mens bodies framable to her temperature and is gathered together sometimes thick into dark clouds sometimes thinner into mists and so is resolved The next to these is the water and then the last and lowest of all which is scraped and compacted together out of the
purer Elements and is called the Earth a thick and grosse substance very solid and by no means to be pierced through so that there is no solid and firm body but hath earth in it as also there is no vacant space but hath air in it This Element of earth is situate in the middle and centre of all and is round beset with all the rest and this only stands still and unmoveable whereas all the rest are carried with a circular motion round about it But Hippon and Critias held that the vapours of the Elements were the first beginnings Parmenides held that their qualities were the principles for all things saith he consist of cold and heat The Physitians hold that all things consist of four qualities hear cold moisture drouth and of their predominancy when they meet together for every Element doth embrace as it were with certain armes his neighbour-Element which is next situate to him and yet they have also contrary and sundry qualities whereby they differ for the wisdom of nature hath framed this workmanship of the world by due and set measure and by a wonderful fitnesse and conveniency of one thing with another for whereas every Element had two qualities wherein it agreed with some and disagreed with other Elements nature hath bestowed such a double quality upon every one as finds in other two her like which she cleaves unto as for example the air and the fire this is hot and dry that is hot and moist now dry and moist are contraries and thereby fire and air disagree but because either of them is hot thereby they are reconciled So the Earth is cold and dry and the water cold and moist so that they disagree in that the one is moist the other dry but yet are reconciled in as much as they are both cold otherwise they could hardly agree Thus the fire by little and little is changed into air because either of them is hot the air into the water because either of them is moist the water into the earth because either of them is cold and the earth into fire because either of them is dry and so they succeed each other after a most provident order From thence also they are turned back again into themselves the order being inverted and so they are made mutually of one another for the change is easie in those that agree in any one common quality as fire and air be easily changed into each other by reason of heat but where either of the qualities are opposite in both as in fire and water there this change is not so easie So then heat cold moisture and drouth are the first and principal qualities in as much as they proceed immediately from the Elements and produce certain secondary effects Now two of them namely heat and cold are active qualities fitter to be doing themselves then to suffer of others the other two namely moisture and drouth are passive not because they are altogether idle but because they follow and are preserved by the other There are certain secondary qualities which attend as it were upon the first and these are said to work in a second sort as to soften to ripen to resolve to make lesse or thinner as when heat works into any mixt body it brings out that which is unpure and so whilst it strives to make it fit for his purpose that it may be more simple the body becometh thereby smaller and thinner so cold doth preserve binde and congeal drouth doth thicken or harden and makes uneven for when there is great store of moisture in the utter parts that which the drouth is not able to consume it hardens and so the utter parts become rugged for that part where the moisture is gone sinking down and the other where it is hardened rising up there must needs be great roughnesse and ruggednesse so moisture doth augment corrupt and for the most part works one thing by it self and another by some accident as by ripening binding expelling and such like it brings forth milk urine monethly flowers and sweat which the Physitians call the third qualities that do so wait upon the second as the second upon the first and sometime they have their operations in some certain parts as to strengthen the head to succour the reins and these some call fourth qualities So then these are the foundations as they call them of all mixt bodies and of all wonderful operations and whatsoever experiments they proved the causes hereof rested as they supposed and were to be found in the Elements and their qualities But Empedocles Agrigentinus not thinking that the Elements were sufficient for this purpose added unto them moreover concord and discord as the causes of generation and corruption There be four principal seeds or beginnings of all things Jupiter that is to say fire Pluto that is to say earth Juno that is to say air and Nestis that is to say water all these sometimes love and concord knits together in one and sometimes discord doth sunder them and make them flie apart This concord and discord said he are found in the Elements by reason of their sundry qualities wherein they agree and disagree yea even in heaven it self as Jupiter and Venus love all Planets save Mars and Saturn Venus agrees with Mars whereas no Planet else agrees with him There is also another disagreement amongst them which ariseth from the oppositions and elevations of their houses for even the twelve signs are both at concord and at discord among themselves as Manilius the Poet hath shewed CHAP. V. That divers operations of Nature proceed from the essential forms of things ALl the Peripatericks and most of the latter Philosophers could not see how all operations should proceed from those causes which the Antients have set down for they find that many things work quite contrary to their qualities and therefore they have imagined that there is some other matter in it and that it is the power and properties of essential formes But now that all things may be made more plain we must consider that it will be a great help unto us for the making and finding out of strange things to know what that is from whence the vertues of any thing do proceed that so we may be able to discern and distinguish one thing from another without confounding all order of truth Whereas one and the same compound yeelds many effects of different kinds as we shall find in the processe of this Book yet every man confesseth that there is but one only original cause therein that produceth all these effects And seeing we are about to open plainly this original cause we must begin a little higher Every natural substance I mean a compound body is composed of matter and form as of her principles neither yet do I exclude the principal qualities of the Elements from doing their part herein for they also concur and make up the number of three principles for when
is reverberated on the top and below too Stop it close and set a large Receiver under it for if it be too narrow the strong Spirits will break out with a great bounce crack the Vessel and frustrate your labour Distil it six hours if you calcine the Alome-fire the VVater will be stronger A Water for Separation of Gold Mix with the equal parts of Salt-Peter and Alom as much Vitriol and distil it as before there will proceed a VVater so strong that it will even corrode the â—iâ—cture of Gold Wherefore if this seem too violent take nine pounds of the former Salts being dissolved in VVater and two ounces of Sal Ammoniacum when they are melted set them two days in Fimo and with hot Ashes you may distil a VVater that will corrode Gold If you refund the VVater upon the Foeces let them macerate and distil it again the VVater will be much stronger How to purge the phlegm from these Waters without which they are of no force cast a little Silver into a litle of this VVater which being overcharged with phlegm will not corrode it But set it to heat over the fire and it will presently do it pour all this VVater into another Pot and leave the Foeces behinde in the former so the VVater will be clarified Oyl of Vitriol Dissolve Vitriol in an earthen Pan with a wide mouth let the phlegm evaporate then encrease the fire and burn it till it be all red and the fourth part be consumed Put it into a Glass-Retort luted all over thrice double and well dried and set in igne reverberationis continually augmenting the fire and continning it for three days until the Vessel melt and an Oyl drop out without any VVater Every three pounds will â—ield one ounce of Oyl Put it into a Glass-bottle and set it in hot Embeâ—s that the VVater if any be in the Oyl may evaporate for so it will be of greater strengh The sign of a perfect extraction is if it make a piece of VVood being cast into it smoak as if it burned it Oyl of Sulphur This is the proper way to extract Oyl of Sulphur Take a Glass with a large mouth in the form of a Bell and hang it up by a wire place a large Receiver under it that it may catch the Oyl as it droppeth out of the Bell. In the middle between these hang an earthen Vessel full of Sulphur kindle the fire and make the Sulphur burn the smoak of which ascendeth up into the Bell condenseth it self and falls down in an oyly substance When the Sulphur is consumed put in more until you have the quantity of Oyl which you desire There is also another way to extract it in a greater quantity Prepare a great Glass-Receiver such as I described in the Extraction of Oyl of Tartar and Aqua Fortis cut a hole thorow it with an Emerauld and indent the edges of it that the smoak may pass out set this upon an earthen Pan in which you burn the Sulphur Above this set another Vessel of a larger size so that it may be about a handful distant from the first cut the edges of the hole in deeper notches that the vapor ascending thorow the first and circulating about the second may distil out of both so you may add a third and fourth Pour this Oyl into another Glass and let the phlegm evaporate over hot Embers it will become of that strength that it will dissolve Silver and I may say Gold also if it be rightly made The fume of Sulphur is congealed in Sal Ammoniacum for I have gathered it in the Mountains of Campania and condensed it into Salt nothing at all differing from that which is brought out of the Eastern Countries Thus Sal Ammoniacus which hath so long lain unknown is discovered in our own Country and is nothing but Salt of Sulphur and this Oyl is the Water of Sal Ammoniac or Salt of Sulphur I would fain know how Learned Men do approve this my Invention I take the Earth thorow which the smoak of Sulphur hath arisen and dissole it in warm Waters and purge it thorow a hanging Receptacle described before then I make the Water evaporate and so finde a Salt nothing different as I hope from Ammoniacum CHAP. XXI Of the Separation of the Elements IN every Compound there are four Elements but for the most part one is predominant the rest are dull and unprofitable Hence when we speak of separating the Elements of a Compound we mean the separating that predominant one In the Water-Lilly the Element of Water is chief Air Earth and Fire are in it but in a small proportion Hence there is but a small quantity of heat and driness in it because VVater overwhelms them all The same must be understood in other things also But do not think that we intend by the separation of the Elements to divide them absolutely the Air from the VVater and the VVater from the Fire and Earth but onely by a certain similitude as what is hotter then the rest we call Fire the moister VVater Stones participate more of Earth VVoods of Fire Herbs of VVater VVe account those Airy which fill the Vessels and Receivers and easily burst them and so flie out VVhen the Elements are thus separated they may afterwards be purified and attenuated The manner of extracting them is various according to the diversity of natural things for some must be calcined some sublimated others distilled I will set down some examples How to separate the Elements of Metals Lay your Metal in Aqua Fortis as I shewed before till it be dissolved then draw out the Aqua Fortis by a Bath and pour it on again and so again until it be turned into an Oyl of a light Red or Ruby-colour Pour two parts of Aqua Fortis unto the Oyl and macerate them in a Glass in Fimo for a month then distil them on Embers till the VVater be all drawn out which you must take and still again in Balneo until it ascend so will you have two Elements By the Bath the Air is elevated the VVater and Earth remain in the bottom the Fire continueth in the bottom of the former Vessel for it is of a fiery substance this Nature and the Affusion of Water and the Distillation in Balneo will reduce into an Oyl again in which you must correct the Fire and it will be perfect You may lay Metal in Embers then by degrees encrease the fire the VVater will first gently ascend next the Earth In Silver the first Oyl is blewish and in perfect separation settleth to the bottom and the VVater ascendeth but in Balneo the Elements of Fire and Earth for the substance of it is cold and moist in Balneo the Elements of Fire and Earth remain first the Earth will come out afterwards the Fire So of Tin the first Oyl is yellow in Balneo the Air will remain in the bottom the Fire Earth and
VVater will ascend which is proper onely to Tin for in no other Metal the Air remaineth last but in Tin the VVater is first elevated next the Fire last of all the Earth Of Iron is made a dark ruddish Oyl Of Quick-silver a white Oyl the Fire settleth to the bottom the Earth and Water are elevated and so of the rest How to separate the Elements in Herbs In Herbs there is alwayes one Element which reigneth in chief Take the Leaves of Sage bruise them macerate them in Fimo and then distil them the Fire will first ascend until the colours be changed next the VVater then a part of the Earth the other part will remain in the bottom not being volatile but fixed Set the VVater in the Sun six dayes then put it in Balneo the VVater will ascend first then the colour will alter and the Fire ascendeth next till the taste be changed at length a part of the Earth the rest being mix'd with the Air tarrieth behinde in the Bottom In VVater-Plants the Air ariseth first next the VVater and Fire How to finde out the Vertues of Plants There are no surer Searchers out of the Vertues of the Plants then our Hands and Eyes the Taste is more fallible for if in Distillation the hottest parts evaporate first we may conclude that it consisteth of hot and thin parts and so of the rest You may easily know by the separation of the Elements whether a Plant have more of â—ire or VVater or Earth by weighing the Plant first then afterward when the VVater and Oyl are extracted weighing the Foeces and by their proportion you may judge of the degrees of each Element in the Composition of it and from thence of their Qualities But the narrow limits of this Book will not give me leave to expatiate farther on this Subject Wherefore I will leave the Discourse of it to a particular Treatise which I intend to set out at large on this matter How to extract Gum out of Plants There are some Plants out of which we may extract Gum some Plants I say because many have none in them and nothing can give more then it hath Fennel and all other kindes of it Opoponax and such-like Herbs are full of it Nature is the best Director in extracting them for when the Sun shines very hot and the Stalks of these Plants are swelled with sap by reason of the continual encrease of their juice they open themselves in little clefts like a Woman when her labour approacheth and thence doth the Plant bring forth as it were in travel that Noble Liquor which partly by the heat of the Sun partly by a natural Inclination grows clammy and is condensed into a hard Body Hence we may learn How to extract Gum out of Opoponax In the Summer Solstice gather the Roots in the night-time that the heat of the Sun may not exhaust the moysture slice it long wayes and put it into a well vernished earthen Pipkin then set it upside down in a descending Furnace with a Receiver underneath to catch the falling-Liquor make a Fire about the upper part of the Vessel which will drive down a Noble Gum which must be purged in other Vessels and may be meliorated by Diâ—â—illation The same may be effected on Sagapene wâ—ose Roots must be gathered at the same time and sliced and being put into a Vessel with a gentle fire will drop out a glutinous Liquor into the Receiver which being clarified will harden like Gum and is kept for Medicinal uses How to extract Gum out of Fennel Gather the stalks of Fennel when it is in its vigor and the Flowers begin to blow about the full of the Moon for then they are more succulent slice them into pieces of a hand-long and put them into a Glass-Tub of a hand in wideress and a handful and a half in length fill it full and set the bottom of it being full of little holes into a Tunnel fit to receive it and the lower part of the Tunnel into a Receiver Then make a gentle fire about the Tub at a handful distance which may beat upon the stalkes on every side with its heat like the Sun-beams The Tub thus growing hot will exclude some drops which flying from the violence of the heat slide down thorow the hoâ—es of the bottom into the Tunnel and from thence into the Receiver where they will condense into Gum participating of the Nature of Fennel of no contemptible vertues THE ELEVENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Of Perfuming THE PROEME AFter Distillation we proceed to Unguents and sweet smells it is an Art next of kin to the other for it provides odors of the same things compounds and mingles Unguents that they may send forth pleasant sents every way very far This Art is Noble and much set by by Kings and great Men. For it teacheth to make Waters Oyls Powders March-panes Fumes and to make sweet Skins that shall hold their sent a long time and may be bought for little money not the common and ordinary way but such as are rare and known to very few CHAP. I. Of perfuming Waters I Have in the former Book shewed how sweet Waters may be distilled out of Flowers and other things as the place dedicated to Distillation did require here now I will teach how to compound sweet Waters and Flowers that may cast forth odoriferous sents as first To make a most sweet perfumed Water Take three pound of Damask-Roses as much of Musk and Red-Roses two of the Flowers of Orange as many of Myrtle half a pound of Garden-Claver an ounce and a half of Cloves three Nutmegs ten Lillies put all these in an Alimbeck in the nose of which you must fasten of Musk three parts of Amber one of Civet half a one tied up together in a clout and put the Nose into the Receiver and tie them close with a cloth dip'd in Bran and the white of an Egg mixed set a gentle fire under it until it be all distilled Another Take two pound of Rose-water of Lavender half one of Certan-Wine thirteen drachms of the Flowers of Gilliflowers Roses Rosemary Jasmine the Leaves of Marjoram wilde Betony Savory Fennel and Basil gentle half a pound an ounce of Lemmon-peel a drachm of Cinnamon Benjamin Storax and Nutmegs mix them and put them in a Glass and set them out in the Sun for four dayes then distil them with a gentle fire and unless you put Musk in the Nose of the Alimbeck tie it up in a rag hang it by a thread in the Water whilst it standeth sunning for a month Set it in the Sun to take away the scurvy savor of the distilling if by chance it conceive any Aqua Nanfa Take four pound of Rose-water two of Orange-Flowers one of Myrtle three ounces of sweet Trifoil one of Lavender add to these two ounces of Benjamin one of Storax the quantity of a Bean of Labdanum as much Mace and Cloves a drachm of Cinnamon
Likewise the pulse called Lupines still looks after the Sun that it may not writhe his stalk and this watcheth the Suns motion so duly that like a Dial it shews the Husband-man the time of the day though it be never so cloudy and they know thereby the just time when the Sun setteth and Theophrastus saith that the flower of the herb Lotum is not onely open and shut but also sometimes hides and sometimes shews her stalk from Sun-set to midnight and this saith he is done about the River Euphrates So the Olive-tree the Sallow the Linden-tree the Elm the white Pople-tree they declare the times of the Suns standing when it turns back again from the Poles for then they hide their leaves and shew only their hoar-white backs In like manner winter-Cresses or Irium and Penyrial though they begin to wither being gathered yet if you hang them upon a stick about the time of the Solstice they will for that time flourish The stone Selenites as much as to say the Moon-beam called by others Aphroselinon contains in it the Image of the Moon and shews the waxing and waining of it every day in the same Image Another stone there is that hath in it a little cloud that turns about like the Sun sometimes hiding sometimes shewing it self The Beast Cynocephalus rejoiceth at the rising of the Moon for then he stands up lifting his fore-feet toward heaven and wears a Royal Ensign upon his head and he hath such a Sympathy with the Moon that when she meets with the Sun as betwixt the old and new Moon so that she gives no light the male or He-Cynocephalus never looks up nor eats any thing as bewailing the losse of the Moon and the female as male-content as He all that while pisseth blood for which causes these beasts are nourished and kept in hallowed places that by them the time of the Moones meeting with the Sun may be certainly known as Oruâ— writes in his Hieroglyphicks The star Arcturus at his rising causeth rain Dogs are well acquainted with the rising of the Canicular star for at that time they are commonly mad and so are vipers and serpents nay then the very standing pools are moved and wines work as they lye in the Cellar and other great and strange effects are wrought upon earth when this star riseth Basil-gentle waxeth whiterish and Coriander waxeth dry as Theophrastus writeth The rising of this star was wont to be diligently observed every year for thereby they would prognosticate whether the year following would be wholesome or contagious as Heraclides Ponticus saith for if it did rise dark and gloomy it was a sign that the Air would be thick and foggy which would cause a pestilence but if it were clear and lightsome it was a sign that the Air would be thin and well purged and consequently healthful In ancient times they much feared this Star so that they ordained a dog to be offered in sacrifice to it as Columella saith that this star is pacified with the blood and entrails of a sucking whelp and Ovid likewise saith that a dog bred on the earth is sacrificed to the Dog-star in Heaven The Beast or wilde Goat which in Egypt is called Oryx hath a sense or feeling of this Star before it riseth for then he looks upon the Sun-beams and in them doth honour the Canicular star Hippocrates saith it is good either to purge or let blood before or after this star riseth and Galen shews that many very necessary operations of this Star must be observed in Critical dayes and likewise in sowing and planting Moreover the greater stars and constellations must be known and at what time they go out of the signs whereby are caused many waterish and fiery impressions in the Air. And whosoever is rightly seen in all these things he will ascribe all these inferiours to the stars as their causes whereas if a man be ignorant hereof he loseth the greatest part of the knowledge of secret operations and works of nature But of this argument we have spoken in our writings of the knowledge of Plants CHAP. IX How to attract and draw forth the vertues of superiour Bodies WE have shewed before the operations of celestial bodies into these inferiours as also the Antipathy and Sympathy of things now will we shew by the affinity of Nature whereby all things are linked together as it were in one common bond how to draw forth and to fetch out the vertues and forces of superior bodies The Platonicks termed Magick to be the attractions or fetching out of one thing from another by a certain affinity of Nature For the parts of this huge world like the limbs and members of one living creature do all depend upon one Author and are knit together by the bond of one Nature therefore as in us the brain the lights the heart the liver and other parts of us do receive and draw mutual benefit from each other so that when one part suffers the rest also suffer with it even so the parts and members of this huge creature the World I mean all the bodies that are in it do in good neighbour-hood as it were lend and borrow each others Nature for by reason that they are linked in one common bond therefore they have love in common and by force of this common love there is amongst them a common attraction or tilling of one of them to the other And this indeed is Magick The concavity or hollownesse of the Sphere of the Moon draws up fire to it because of the affinity of their Natures and the Sphere of the fire likewise draws up Air and the centre of the world draws the earth downward and the natural place of the waters draws the waters to it Hence it is that the Load-stone draws iron to it Amber draws chaff or light straws Brimstone draws fire the Sun draws after it many flowers and leaves and the Moon draws after it the waters Plotinus and Synesius say Great is nature everywhere she layeth certain baits whereby to catch certain things in all places as she draws down heavy things by the centre of the earth as by a bait so she draws light things upward by the concavity of the Moon by heat leaves by moisture roots by one bait or another all things By which kind of attraction the Indian Wisards hold that the whole world is knit and bound within it self for say they the World is a living creature everywhere both male and female and the parts of it do couple together within and between themselves by reason of their mutual love and so they hold and stand together every member of it being linked to each other by a common bond which the Spirit of the World whereof we spake before hath inclined them unto For this cause Orpheus calleth Jupiter and the Nature of the World man and wife because the World is so desirous to marry and couple her parts together The very order of the Signs
silver But if you desire To make brass shew it self of a silver colour by rubbing it betwixt your hands as boyes and cozening companions are oftentimes wont to do that if they do but handle any vessels of brass they will make them straightways to glitter like Silver you may use this devise Take Ammoniack-salt and Alome and Salt-peeter of each of them an equal weight and mingle them together and put unto them a small quantity of Silver-dust that hath been filed off then set them all to the fire that they may be thoroughly hot and when the fume or vapour is exhaled from them that they have left reaking make a powder of them and whatsoever brass you cast that powder upon if you do withal either wet it with your own spittle or else by little and little rub it over with your fingers you shall find that they will seem to be of a silver colour But if you would whiten such brass more handsomely and neatly you must take another course You must dissolve a little silver with Aqua fortis and put unto it so much Lees of wine and as much Ammoniack-salt let them so lie together till they be about the thickness of the filth that is rubbed off from a mans body after his sweating then roul it up in some small round balls and so let them wax dry when they are dry if you rub them with your fingers upon any brass or other like metal and still as you rub them moisten them with a little spittle you shall make that which you rub upon to be very like unto silver The very like experiment may be wrought by Quick-silver for this hath a wonderful force in making any metal to become white Now whereas we promised before to teach you not onely how to endue brase or such other metal with a silver colour but also how to preserve and keep the bodies so coloured from returning to their former hiew again you must beware that these bodies which are endued with such a silver colour do not take hurt by any sharp or sowre liquor for either the urine or vineger or the juice of limons or any such tart and sowre liquor wâ—ll cause this colour soon to fade away and so discredit your work and declare the colour of those metals to be false and counterfeit CHAP. IV. Of Iron and how to transform it into a more worthy metal NOw the order of my proceedings requires that I should speak somewhat also concerning Iron for this is a metal which the Wizards of India did highly esteem as having in it self much goodness and being of such a temperature that it may easily be transformed into a more worthy and excellent metal then it self is Notwithstanding some there are which reject this metal as altogether unprofitable because it is so full of gross earthly substance and can hardly be melted in the fire by reason of that firm and setled brimstone which is found in it But if any man would Change Iron into Brass so that no part of the grosse and earthly substance shall remain in it he may easily obtain his purpose by Coppresse or Vitriol It is reported that in the mountain Carpatus an Hill of Pannonia at a certain Town called Smolinitium there is a Lake in which there are three channels full of water and whatsoever Iron is put into those channels it is converted into brass and if the Iron which you cast into them be in small pieces or little clamps presently they are converted into mud or dirt but if that mud be baked and hardened in the fire it will be turned into perfect good brass But there is an artificial means whereby this also may be affected and it is to be done on this wise Take Iron and put into a casting vessel and when it is red hot with the vehement heat of the fire and that it beginneth to melt you must cast upon it by little and little some sprinkling of quick brimstone then you must pour it forth and cast into small rods and beat it with hammers it is very brittle and will easily be broken then dissolve it with Aqua-fortis such as is compounded of vitriol and Alome tempered together set it upon hot cinders till it boil and be dissolved into vapours and so quite vanish away and the subsidence thereof or the rubbish that remains behind if it be reduced into one solid body again will become good brass If you would Make Iron to become white you may effect it by divers and sundry sleights yet let this onely device content you in this matter First you must cleanse and purge your Iron of that dross and refuse that is in it and of that poysoned corruption of rust that it is generally infected withal for it hath more earthly substance and parts in it then any other metal hath insomuch that if you boil it and purge it never so often it will still of it self yield some new excrements To cleanse and purge it this is the best way Take some small thin plates of Iron and make them red hot and then quench them in strong lye and vineger which have been boiled with ordinary Salt and Alome and this you must use to do with them oftentimes till they be somewhat whitened the fragments or scrapings also of Iron you must pown in a morâ—er after they have been steeped in salt and you must bray them together till the salt be quite changed so that there be no blackness left in the liquor of it and till the Iron be cleansed and purged from the dross that is in it When you have thus prepared your Iron you must whiten it on this manner Make a plaister as it were of quick-silver and lead tempered together then pown them into powder and put that powder into an earthen vessel amongst your plates of Iron that you have prepared to be whitened close up the vessel fast and plaister it all over with morter so that there may be no breathing place for any air either to get in or out then put it into the fire and there let it stay for one whole day together and at length encrease your fire that it may be so vehement hot as to melt the Iron for the plaister or confection which was made of lead and Quick-silver will work in the Iron two effects for first it will dispose it to melting that it shall soon be dissolved and secondly it will dispose it to whitening that it shall the sooner receive a glittering colour After all this draw forth your Iron into small thin plates again and proceed the second time in the same course as before till you find that it hath taken so much whitenesse as your purpose was to endue it withal In like manner if you melt it in a vessel that hath holes in the bottom of it and melt with it lead and the Marchasiâ—e or fire-stone and Arsnick and such other things as we spake of before in our experiments
of brass you may make Iron to become white If you put amongst it some silver though it be not much it will soon resemble the colour of silver for Iron doth easily suffer it self to be medled with gold or silver and they may be so thoroughly incorporated into each other that by all the rules of separation that can be used you cannot without great labour and very much ado separate the one of them from the other CHAP. V. Of Quick-silver and of the effects and operations thereof IN the next place it is meet that we speak something concerning Quick-silver and the manifold operations thereof wherein we will first set down certain vulgar and common congelations that it makes with other things because many men do desire to know them and secondly we will shew how it may be dissolved into water that they which are desirous of such experiments may be satisfied herein First therefore we will shew How Quick-silver may be congealed and curdled as it were with Iron Put the quick-silver into a casting vessel and put together with it that water which the Blacksmith hath used to quench his hot Iron in and put in also among them Ammoniack Salt and Vitriol and Verdegrease twice so much of every one of these as there was quick-silver let all these boil together in an exceeding great fire and still turn them up and down with an Iron slice or ladle and if at any time the water boil away you must be sure that you have in a readiness some of the same water through hot to cast into it that it may supply the waste which the fire hath made and yet not hinder the boiling thus will they be congealed all together within the space of six hours After this you must take the congealed stuff when it is cold and binde it up hard with your hands in leather thongs or linnen cloth or osiers that all the juice and moisture that is in it may be squeesed out of it then let that which is squeesed and drained out settle it self and be congealed once again till the whole confection be made then put it into an earthen vessel well washed and amongst it some spring-water and take off as neer as you can all the filth and scum that is upon it and is gone to waste and in that vessel you must temper and diligently mix together your congealed matter with spring-water till the whole matter be pure and clear then lay it abroad in the open air three days and three nights and the subject which you have wrought upon will wax thick and hard like a shell or a tile-sheard There is also another congelation to be made with quick-silver Congeailng of Quick-silver with balls of Brass thus make two Brass half circles that that may fasten one within the other that nothing may exhale put into them quick-silver with an equal part of white Arsenick and Tartar well powdred and searced lute the joynts well without that nothing may breathe forth so let them dry and cover them with coles all over for six hours then make all red hot then take it out and open it and you shall see it all coagulated and to stick in the hollow of the Brass ball strike it with a hammer and it will fall off melt it and project it and it will give an excellent colour like to Silver and it is hard to discern it from Silver If you will you may mingle it with three parts of melted Brass and without Silver it will be exceeding white soft and malleable It is also made another way Make a great Cup of Silver red Arsenick and Latin with a cover that sits close that nothing may exhale fill this with quick-silver and lute the joynts with the white of an Egg or some Pine-tree-rosin as it is commonly done hang this into a pot full of Linseed Oyl and let it boil twelve hours take it out and strain it through a skin or straw and if any part be not coagulated do the work again and make it coagulate If the vessel do coagulate it slowly so much as you find it hath lost of its weight of the silver Arsenick and Alchymy make that good again for we cannot know by the weight use it it is wonderful that the quick-silver will draw to it self out of the vessel and quick-silver will enter in Now I shall shew what may be sometimes useful To draw water out of Quick-silver Make a vessel of potters earth that will endure the fire of which crucibles are made six foot long and of a foot Diameter glassed within with glass about a foot broad at the bottom a finger thick narrower at the top bigger at bottom About the neck let there be a hole as big as ones finger and a little pipe coming forth by which you may fitly put in the quick-silver on the top of the mouth let there be a glass cap fitted with the pipe and let it be smeered with clammy clay and bind it above that it breathe not forth For this work make a furnace let it be so large at the top that it may be fit to receive the bottom of the vessel a foot broad and deep You must make the grate the fire is made upon with that art that when need is you may draw it back on one side and the fire may fall beneath Set therefore the empty vessel into the furnace and by degrees kindle the fire Lastly make the bottom red hot when you see it to be so which you may know by the top you must look through the glass cap presently by the hole prepared pour in ten or fifteen pounds of quick-silver and presently with clay cast upon it stop that hole and take away the grate that the fire may fall to the lower parts and forthwith quench it with water Then you shall see that the water of quick-silver will run forth at the nose of the cap into the receiver under it about an ounce in quantity take the vessel from the fire and pour forth the quick-silver and do as before and always one ounce of water will distil forth keep this for Chymical operation I found this the best for to smug up women with This artifice was found to purifie quick-silver I shall not pass over another art no less wonderful than profitable for use To make quick-silver grow to be a Tree Dissolve silver in aqua fortis what is dissolved evaporate into thin air at the fire that there may remain at the bottom a thick unctious substance Then distil fountain-water twice or thrice and pour it on that thick matter shaking it well then let it stand a little and pour into another glass vessel the most pure water in which the silver is adde to the water a pound of quick-silver in a most transparent crystalline glass that will attract to it that silver and in the space of a day will there spring up a most beautiful tree from the bottom and hairy as
made of most fine beards of corn and it will fill the whole vessel that the eye can behold nothing more pleasant The same is made of gold with aqua regia CHAP. VI. Of Silver I Shall teach how to give silver a tincture that it may shew like to pure gold and after that how it may be turned to true gold To give Silver a Gold-colour Burn burnt brass with stibium and melted with half silver it will have the perfect colour of gold and mingle it with gold it will be the better colour We boil brass thus I know not any one that hath taught it you shall do it after this manner melt brass in a crucible with as much stibium when they are both melted put in as muâ—h stibium as before and pour it out on a plain Marble-stone that it may cool there and be fit to beat into plates Then shall you make two bricks hollow that the plates may be fitly laid in there when you have fitted them let them be closed fast together and bound with iron bands and well luted when they are dried put them in a glass fornace and let them stand therein a week to burn exactly take them out and use them And To tincture Silver into gold you must do thus Make first such a tart lye put quick lime into a pot whose bottom is full of many small holes put a piece of wood or tilesheard upon it then by degrees pour in the powder and hot water and by the narrow holes at the bottom let it drain into a clean earthen vessel under it do this again to make it exceeding tart Powder stibium and put into this that it may evaporate into the thin air let it boil at an easie fire for when it boils the water will be of a purple colour then strain it into a clean vessel through a linnen cloth again pour on the lye on the powders that remain and let it boil so long at the fire till the water seems of a bloody colour no more Then boil the lye that is colour'd putting fire under till the water be all exhaled but the powder that remains being dry with the oyl of Tartar dried and dissolved must be cast again upon plates made of equal parts of gold and silver within an earthen crucible cover it so long with coles and renew your work till it be perfectly like to gold Also I can make the same Otherwise If I mingle the congealed quick-silver that I speak of with a cap with a third part of silver you shall find the silver to be of a golden colour you shall melt this with the same quantity of gold and put it into a pot pour on it very sharp vinegar and let it boil a quarter of a day and the colour will be augmented Put this to the utmost trial of gold that is with common salt and powder of bricks yet adding Vitriol and so shall you have refined gold We can also extract Gold out of Silver And not so little but it will pay your cost and afford you much gain The way is thiâ— Put the fine filings of Iron into a Crucible that will endure fire till it grow red hot and melt then take artificial Chrysocolla such as Goldsmiths use to soder with and red Arsenick and by degrees strew them in when you have done this cast in an equal part of Silver and let it be exquisitely purged by a strong vessel made of Ashes all the dregs of the Gold being now removed cast it into water of separation and the Gold will fall to the bottom of the vessel take it there is nothing of many things that I have found more true more gainful or more hard spare no labour and do it as you should lest you lose your labour or otherwise let the thin filings of Iron oak for a day in sea-water let it dry and let it be red hot in the fire so long in a â—rucible till it run then cast in an equal quantity of silver with half brass let it be projected into a hollow place then purge it exactly in an ash vessel for the Iron being excluded and its dregs put it into water of separation and gather what falls to the bottom and it will be excellent Gold May be it will be profitable to Fix Cinnaber He that desires it I think he must do thus break the Cinnaber into pieces as big as Wall-nuts and put them into a glass vessel that is of the same bigness and the pieces must be mingled with thrice the weight of silver and laid by courses and the vessel must be luted and suffer it to dry or set it in the Sun then cover it with ashes and let it boil so long on a gentle fire till it become of a lead colour and break not which will not be unless you tend it constantly till you come so far Then purge it with a double quantity of lead and when it is purged if it be put to all tryals it will stand the stronger and be more heavy and of more vertue the more easie fire you use the better will the business be effected but so shall we try to repair silver and revive it when it is spoil'd Let sublimate quick-silver boil in distil'd vinegar then mingle quick-silver and in a glass retort let the quick-silver evaporate in a hot fire and fall into the receiver keep it If you be skilful you shall find but little of the weight lost Others do it with the Regulus of Antimony But otherwise you shall do it sooner and more gainfully thus Put the broken pieces of Cinnaber as big as dice into a long linnen bag hanging equally from the pot sides then pour on the sharpest venegar with alom and tartar double as much quick lime four parts and as much of oaken ashes as it is usual to be made or you must make some Let it boil a whole day take it out and boil it in oyl be diligent about it and let it stay there twenty four hours take the pieces of Cinnaber out of the oyl and meer them with the white of an egge beaten and role it with a third part of the filings of silver put it into the bottom of a convenient vessel and lute it well with the best earth as I said set it to the fire three days and at last increase the fire that it may almost melt and run take it off and wash it from its faeces that are left at the last proof of silver and bring it to be true and natural Also it will be pleasant From fixt Cinnaber to draw out a silver beard If you put it into the same vessel and make a gentle fire under silver that is pure not mixed with lead will become hairy like a wood that there is nothing more pleasant to behold CHAP. VII Of Operations necessary for use I Thought fit to set down some Operations which are generally thought fit for our works and if you know them
remaining Powders make a mass which you may form into cakes which being burnt on hot Ashes smell very sweetly I take out the Cinnamon and the Woods because in burning they cast forth a stink of smoak Another way Take one pound and a half of the Coals of Willow ground into dust and seirced four ounces of Labdanum three drachms of Storax two of Benjamin one of Lignum Aloes mix the Storax Benjamin and Labdanum in a Brass Morter with an Iron Pestle heated and put to them the Coal and Lignum Aloes powdered Add to these half an ounce of liquid Storax then dissolve Gum Tragacantha in Rose-water and drop it by degrees into the Morter When the powders are mixed into the form of an Unguent you may make it up into the shape of Birds or any other things and dry them in the shade You may wash them over with a little Musk and Amber upon a Pencil and when you burn them you will receive a most sweet fume from them Another Perfume Anoynt the Pill of Citron or Lemmon with a little Civet stick it with Cloves and Races of Cinnamon boyl it in Rose-water and it will fill your chamber with an odorifeous fume CHAP. IX How to adulterate Musk. THese Perfumes are often counterfeited by Impostors wherefore I will declare how you may discern and beware of these Cheats for you must not trust whole Musk-Cods of it there being cunning Impostors who fill them with other things and onely mix Musk enough to give its sent to them Black Musk inclining to a dark red is counterfeited with Goats blood a little rosted or toasted bread so that three or four parts of them beaten with one of Musk will hardly be discovered The Imposture may be discerned onely thus The Bread is easie to be crumb'd and the Goats blood looketh clear and bright within when it is broken It is counterfeited by others in this manner Beat Nutmegs Mace Cinnamon Cloves Spikenard of each one handful and seirce them carefully then mix them with the warm blood of Pigeons and dry them in the Sun Afterward beat them again and wet them with Musk-water and Rose-water dry them beat them and moysten them very many times at length add a fourth part of pure Musk and mix them well and wet them again with Rose-water and Musk-water divide the Mass into several parts and rowl them in the hair of a Goat which groweth under his Tail Others do it Another way and mingle Storax Labdanum and Powder of Lignum Aloes add to the Composition Musk and Civet and mingle all together with Rose-water The Imposture is discovered by the easie dissolving of it in water and it differeth in colour and sent Others augment Musk by adding Roots of Angelica which doth in some sort imitate the sent of Musk. So also they endeavour To adulterate Civet with the Gall of an Ox and Storax liquified and washed or Cretan Honey But if your Musk or Amber have lost their sent thus you must do To make Musk recover its sent hang it in a Jakes and among stinks for by striving against those ill savours it exciteth its own vertue reviveth and recovereth its lost sent THE TWELFTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Of Artificial Fires THE PROEME BEfore I leave off to write of Fire I shall treat of that dangerous Fire that works wonderful things which the vulgar call Artificial Fire which the Commanders of Armies and Generals use lamentably in divers Artifices and monstrous Designs to break open Walls and Cities and totally to subvert them and in Sea-fights to the infinite ruine of mâ—rtal men and whereby they oft-times frustrate the malicious enterprizes of their Enemies The matter is very useful and wonderful and there is nothing in the world that more frights and terrifies the mindes of men God is coming to judge the world by Fire I shall describe the mighty hot Fires of our Ancestors which they used to besiege places with and I shall add those that are of later Invention that far exceed them and lastly I shall speak of those of our days You have here the Compositions of terrible Gun-powder that makes a noise and then of that which makes no noise of Pipes that vomit forth deadly Fires and of Fires that cannot be quenched and that will rage under Water at the very bottom of it Whereby the Seas rend asunder as if they were undermined by the great violence of the flames striving against them and are lifted up into the Air that Ships are drawn by the monstrous Gulphs Of Fireâ—Balls that flie with glittering Fire and terrifie Troops of Horse-men and overthrow them So that we are come almost to eternal Fires CHAP. I. How divers ways to procure Fire may be prepared VItruvius saith That it fell out by accident that sundry Trees frequently moved with Windes and Tempests the Bows of them rubbing one against another and the parts smiting each other and so being ratified caused heat and took fire and flamed exceedingly Wilde people that saw this ran away When the Fire was out and they durst come neerer and found it to be a great commodity for the Body of man they preserved the Fire and so they perceived that it afforded causes of civility of conversing and talking together Pliny saith It was found out by Souldiers and Shepherds In the Camp those that keep watch found this out for necessity and so did Shepherds because there is not always a Flint ready Theophrastus teacheth what kindes of Wood are good for this purpose and though the Anger and the handle are sometimes both made of one sort of Wood yet it is so that one part acts and the other suffers so that he thinks the one part should be of hard Wood and the other of soft Example Wood that by rubbing together will take Fire They are such as are very hot as the Bay-Tree the Buck-thorn the Holm the Piel-Tree But Mâ—estor adds the Mulberry-Tree and men conjecture so because they will presently blunt the Ax. Oâ— all these they make the Auger that by rubbing they may resist the more and do the business more firmly but the handle to receive them is to be made of soft Wood as the Ivy the wilde Vine and the like being dried and all moisture taken from them The Olive is not fit because it is full of fat matter and too much moysture But those are worst of all to make Fires that grow in shady places Pliny from him One Wood is rub'd against another and by rubbing takes Fire some dry fuel as Mushroomes or Leaves easily receiving the Fire from them But there is nothing better then the Ivy that may be rubbed with the Bay-Tree or this with that Also the wilde Vine is good which is another kinde of wilde Vine and runs upon Trees as the Ivy doth But I do it more conveniently thus Rub one Bay-Tree against another and rub lustily for it will presently smoak adding a little Brimstone put your fuel
Colophonia mingle all these sow them up in Coffins made of thick Cloth in fashion of Balls and put them into hollow half circles made in Wood and strike them with a wooden Hammer that they may be hard as stones then binde them about with cords and dip them in Tar three or four times they that may be well fenced about lest being discharged by the violence of a Brass-Gun they should break in pieces Lastly pierce them thrice thorow with a sharp stick in the centre and fill them with Gun-powder and dry them to be sent aloft When you would use them raise your Brass-Guns or more conveniently the but end of your Guns and take the Ball in a pair of Iron Pinchers and give Fire to the holes that it may take when your are certain that it is lighted with your right hand cast it into the hollow of the Gun and with your left give fire to the lowest touch-hole of the Gun when it is fired it rebounds and being carried up by force of the Fire it seems to run up and down in the Air as I often saw it at Rome and prepared it They are made also Another way Take Sea-pitch three parts Turpentine-Rosin two parts as much Brimstone one part Goats suet powder what must be powdered and melt in a Brass Vessel what will melt put them together and stir them with a wooden stick Then cast in Hards of Hemp or Flax so much as will drink up all the mixture then take the Brass Kettle from the fire and with your hands make Balls as big as you will that they may be shot forth of Brass-guns and before they grow hard thrust them through with wooden sticks making small holes then put in Gun-powder broken with Brimstone and rowl them about upon a Table strewed with Gun-powder and through the holes fasten cotton Matches rolled in the Powder as I shall shew let these dry and grow hard in the Sun The way to discharge them from a Brass Gun is this Chuse such as are commonly called Petrils that are fittest for this use The weight of the Gun-powder to be put into the Vessel must be one fifth part of the Ball or a little more or less for if you put in much they are either cast down by the too great violence of the Fire or else they are put out as they flie and do not answer our expectation The Powder being put into the Vessel lay neither Hards nor Hemp upon it but fit the Ball upon the Powder that as that fires it may fire the Ball and send it forth Here is a more noble Composition Another way Take five parts of Gun-powder three of Salt-Peter refined Brimstone two Colophonia one half part beaten Glass common Salt of Oyl of Peter and of Linseed Oyl and refined Aqua Vitae as much powder what must be powdered and pass it through a fine Cieve then melt it in a new earthen pot with burning coals without flame let them not sparkle for so the Composition may take fire Then cast in the Powders that they may incorporate well together then make round Coffins of Linen cloth as I said and fill them with the Gun-powder alone and binde them with cords about then wrap your Tow in the Composition and make a Ball of the bigness you would have it and if you will shoot it out of a Brass Gun binde it the thicker with little cords then pierce your Ball through in many places with wooden pricks that they may come at the powder that lieth in the middle then put cotton Match through that when it flies in the Air so violently they may preserve the fire In another earthen Pot melt Pine-Tree-Gum Gun-powder and Brimstone and dip in your Ball into that liquor that it may be all over-cast with it When you take it out lift up your cotton Matches with a stick and strew them with Gun-powder This Ball will sorely punish the Enemies with a great noise cracking and breaking asunder the Fire cannot be put out it will burn all kinde of Furniture Garments and what else till it be all consumed for it will burn Armour so mightily that unless they be taken off they will burn the man CHAP. VI. Of Compositions with burning Waters PHilosophers seeking the Reason of Waters that lie hid above and under the earth and are always hot they say Bitumen is the cause thereof which being once on fire hath this property that it will not only not be put out but if you cast on water it will burn the more The Mountain Chimaera burns always in Phaselis both night and day Gnidius Ctesias saith The fire of it is kindled by water and is put out with Earth or Hay In the same Lycia Vulcan's Mountains touched with a burning Torch will so burn that the very stones and sand in Rivers are consumed by them and will burn in the midst of the waters and that fire is maintained by water The hollow Cave in Nymphaeum foreshews terrible things to the men Apollonia as Theopompus writes it encreaseth by showres and it casts forth Bitumen that must be tempered with that Fountain that cannot be tasted otherwise it is more weak then any Bitumen is Now I shall search out the kindes of Bitumen The first kinde is liquid called Naphtha we call it Oyl of Peter which remains in stones and Kiâ—ram This hath great affinity with Fire and the fire will take hold of it every way at a great distance So some say That Medea burnt a whore who when she came to sacrifice at the Altar the fire laid hold on her Garland Another kinde is that men call Maltha for in the City of Comagenes Samosata there is a Lake sends forth burning mud when any solid thing toucheth it it will stick to it and being touch'd it will follow him that runs from it So they defended the Walls when Lucullus besieged them and the Soldier burned in his Armor Waters do kindle it and only Earth can quench it as experience shews Camphire is a kinde of it as Bitumen it draws fire to it and burns Pissaphaltum is harder then Bitumen both Amber and Jet are of this sort but these burn more gently and not so much in the waters Moreover in regard it burns in the Water it is Brimstone for no fatter thing is dug forth of the Earth To maintain this fire it self is sufficient it neither burns in the waters nor is it put out with water nor doth it last long but joyn'd with Bitumen the fire will last always as we see in the Phlegrean Mountains at Puteoli and as fire if Oyl be cast in burns the more so when Bitumen is kindled water cast on makes the flame the greater Wherefore I shall make use of those fires that burn in and above the waters But I shall bring some examples how is made A Ball that will burn under Water First prepare your Gun-Powder for this must be one Ingredient in all Compositions
with the best Gunpowder onely but the pipe with that mixture that burns more gently that when fire is put to it you may hold it so long in your hand until that slow composition may come to the centre and then throw it amongst the enemies for it will break in a thousand pieces and the iron wires and pieces of iron and parts of the Ball will fly far and strike so violently that they will go into planks or a wall a hand depth These are cast in by Souldiers when Cities are besiged for one may wound two hundred men and then it is worse to wound then to kill them as experience in wars shews But when you will fill the pipes hold one in your hand without a Ball full of the composition and try it how long it will burn that you may learn to know the time to cast them lest you kill your self and your friends I shall teach you how with the same Balls Troops of Horsemen may be put into confusion There are made some of these sorts of Balls that are greater about a foot in bigness bound with the same wire but fuller of iron piles namely with a thousand of them These are cast amongst Troops of Horsemen or into Cities besieged or into ships with slings or iron guns which they call Petrels and divers ways for if they be armed with iron pieces when they break they are cast forth so with the violence of the fire that they will strike through armed men and horses and so fright the horses with a huge noise that they cannot be ruled by bridle nor spurs but will break their ranks They have four holes made through them and they are filled with this said mixture that being fired they may be cast amongst Troops of Horsemen and they will cast their flames so far with a noise and cracking that the flames will seem like to thunder and lightning CHAP. VIII How in plain ground and under waters mines may be presently digged TO dig Mines to overthrow Cities and Forts there is required great cost time and pains and they can hardly be made but the enemy will discover it I shall shew how to make them in that champion ground where both armies are to meet with little labour and in short time To make Mines in plain grounds where the Armies are to meet If you would do this in sight of the enemy for they know not what you do I shall first teach how A little before night or in the twilight where the meeting shall be or passage or standing there may pits be made of three foot depth and the one pit may be distant from the other about ten foot There fit your Balls about a foot in bigness that you may fill the whole plain with them then dig trenches from one to the other that through them cotton matches may pass well through earthen pipes or hollow caâ—es but fire the Balls at three or four places then bury them and make the ground even leaving a space to give fire to them all at once Then at the time of war when the enemy stands upon the ground then remove at your pleasure or counterfeit that you fly from them and cast in fire at the open place and the whole ground will presently burn with fire and make a cruel and terrible slaughter amongst them for you shall see their limbs fly into the air and others fall dead pierced through burnt with the horrible flames thereof that scarce one man shall scape You shall make your Match thus In a new Test let the best Aqua vitae boyl with gunpowder till it grow thick and be like pap put your matches into it and role them in the mixture take the Test from the fire and strew on as much gunpowder as they will receive and set them to dry in the Sun put this into a hollow cane and fill it full of gunpowder or take one part refined salt-peter brimstone half as much and let it boyl in a new earthen pot with oyl of linseed put in your Match and wet them well all over with that liquor take them away and dry them in the Sun But if you will make Mines under the Water use this rare invention You shall make your Mines where the enemies Galleys or Ships come to ride you shall upon a plain place fit many beams or pieces of timber fastned cross-wise and thrust through or like nets according to the quantity in the divisions you shall make fit circles of wood and fasten them and fill them with gunpowder the beams must be made hollow and be filled with match and powder that you may set fire to the round circles with great diligence and cunning smeer over the circles and the beams with pitch and cover them well with it that the water may not enter and the powder take wet for so your labour will be lost and you must leave a place to put fire in then sink your engine with weights to the bottom of the water and cover it with stones mud and weeds a little before the enemy come Let a Scout keep watch that when their Ships or Galleys ride over the place that the snare is laid for fire being put to it the sea will part and be cast up into the air and drown'd the Ships or will tear them in a thousand pieces that there is nothing more wonderful to be seen or done I have tried this in waters and ponds and it performed more then I imagined it would CHAP. IX What things are good to extinguish the fire I Have spoken of kindling fires but now I shall shew how to quench them and by the way what things obnoxious to the fire will endure it and remain But first I will relate what our Ancestours have left concerning this business Vitruvious saith That the Larch-tree-wood will not burn or kindle by it self but like a stone in the furnace will make no coles but burn very slowly He saith the reason is That there is in it very little air or fire but much water and earth and that it is very solid and hath no pores that the fire can enter at He relates how this is known When Caesar commanded the Citizens about the Alps to bring him in provision those that were secure in a Castle of wood refused to obey his commands Caesar bade make bundles of wood and to light torches and lay these to the Castle when the matter took fire the flame flew exceeding high and he supposed the Castle would have fallen down but when all was burnt the Castle was not touched Whence Pliny writes The Larch-tree will neither burn to coles nor is otherwise consumed by fire then stones are But this is most false For seeing it is rosiny and oyly it presently takes fire and burns and being one fired is hard to put out Wherefore I admire that this error should spread so far and that the Town Larignum so called from the abundance of
Larch-wood compassed about with fire should suffer no hurt Moreover I read that liquid Alom as the Ancients report will stand out against fire For wood smeered with Alom and Verdignease whether they be posts or beams so they have a crust made about them will not burn with fire Aâ—â—â—â—laus the General for Mithridates made trial of it in a wooden Tower against 〈◊〉 which he attempted in vain to set on fire which I find observed by 〈◊〉 in his Annals But this liquid Alom is yet unknown to many learned men our Alum wants this property But many say that vinegar prevails against fire Plutarch saith That nothing will sooner quench fire them vinegar for of all things it most puts out the flame by its extreamity of cold Poliâ—â—â—â— reports 〈◊〉 when he was besieged by his enemies poured out of brazen vessels melted lead upon the engines that were set to scale the place and by this were the engines dissolved but the enemies poured vinegar upon it and by that they quenched the lead and all things else that fell from the walls and so they found vinegar to be the fittest to quench fire and an excellent experiment if things be wet with it Pliny prayseth the white of an egge to quench it saying that the white of an egge is so strong that if wood be wet with it it will not burn nor yet any garment Hieron to cover scaling engines used the raw hides of beasts new killed as having force to resist fire and the joynts of wood they fenced with chalk or with ashes tempered with blood or clay molded with hair or straw and with sea-weeds wet in vinegar for so they were safe from fire Carchedonius was the first that taught men to cover engins and rams with green hides I have heard by men of credit that when houses were on fire by a peculiar property the menstruons clothes of a woman that had her courses the first time cast over the planks would presently put out the fire Thick and muscilaginous juyces are good against fire as of Marsh-mallows Therefore Albertus writ not very absurdly that if a man anoint his hands with juyce of Marsh-mallows the white of an egge and vinegar with alom He may handle fire without hurt And it is a thing that hath much truth in it But I think that quick-silver killed in vinegar and the white of an egge and smeered on can preserve any thing from fire CHAP. X. Of divers compositions for fire I Shall speak of divers compositions for fire to be used for divers uses But men say M. Gracchus was Author of this invention To make a fiery composition that the Sun may kindle It consists of these things Oyl of Rosinous Turpentine of Quick-silver otherwise then I shewed in distilling of Juniper of Naphtha Linseed Colophonia Camphire let there be Pitch Salt-peter and Ducks-grease double to them all Aqua vitae refined from all flegm Pound them all and mingle them put them up in a glazed vessel and let them ferment two moneths in horse-dung always renewing the dung and mingling them together After the set time put it into a retort and distil it thicken the liquor either with Pigeons-dung finely sifted or with gunpowder that it may be like pap Wood that is smeered over with this mixture and set in the summer Sun will fire of it self Pigeons-dung easily takes fire by the Sun beams Galen reports That in Mysia a part of Asia a house was so set on fire Pigeons-dung was cast forth and touched a window that was neer as it came to touch the wood that was newly smeered with rosin when it was corrupted and grew hot and vapoured at Midsummer by heat of the Sun it fired the rosin and the window then other places smeered with Rosin took fire and by degrees part of the house began to take hold and when once the covering of the house began to flame it soon laid hold of the whole house because it hath a mighty force to inflame all Ducks-grease is very prevalent in fire-works and Physitians praise it extremely that it is most subtile penetrating and hot it makes other things penetrate and as it is most subtile and hot so it takes fire vehemently and burns I shall shew how to distil A most scalding Oyl When I would prepare the most excellent compositions of burning oyl I distilled common oyl in a retort but with great labour yet what was distilled was thin combustible and ready to fire that once kindled it was not to be put out and it would draw the flame at a great distance and hardly let it go But oyl of Linseed is stronger than it for if you distil it often it will have such a wonderful force to take fire that it can hardly be shut up in a vessel but it will draw the fire to it and the glass being opened it is so thin that it will fly into the Air and if the light of a candle or of fire touch it the Air takes fire and the oyl fired by it will cast the flame afar off so vehemently that it is almost impossible to quench it It must be distilled with great cunning lest the vessel over-heat it should take fire within Moreover Fire that is quenched with oyl is kindled with water It is thus made I said that Naphtha will burn in water and that Camphire is a kind of it Wherefore if you mingle brimstone with it or other things that will retain fire if you cast in oyl or mud it will quench it but it revives and flames more if you cast in water Livy relates That some old women in their plays lighting Torches made of these things passed over Tyber that it seemed a miracle to the beholders I said it was the property of Bitumen to take fire from water and to be quenched with oyl Dioscorides saith That the Thracian stone is bred in a certain River of Scythia the name of it is Pontus it hath the Force of Jet they say it is enflamed by water and quenched with oyl like as Bitumen Nicander speaks of this stone thus If that the Thracian stone be burnt in fire And wet with water the flame will aspire But oyl will quench it Thracian shepherds bring This stone from th' River Pontus Poets sing Torches that will not be put out by the winds They are made with brimstone for that is hardly put out if once kindled Wherefore Torches made with wax and brimstone may be carried safely through winds and tempests These are good for Armies to march by or for other necessary things Others use such They boil the wick of the Torches in Salt-peter and water when it is dried they wet them with brimstone and Aqua vitae of this mixture then they make their Candles with brimstone and then with half Camphire and Turpentine two parts Colophonia three of Wax of this they make four Candles and put them together in the middle that is empty they cast in quick-brimstone
and they will forcibly resist all things Or thus Boil wicks of Hemp or Cotton in water with Salt-peter take them out and dry them then melt in a brass pot equal parts of brimstone gunpowder and wax when they are melted put in your wicks to drink up part of the mixture take them out and to what is left in the kettle add Gunpowder Brimstone and Turpentine of each a like quantity of which mixture make your Torches and joyn them together Also there is made A cord that set on fire shall neither smoke nor smell When Souldiers or Hunters go secretly by day or night they use sometimes to make a Match that being lighted will neither smell near hand nor far off nor make any smoke for wild Beasts if the Match smell will sent it and run to the tops of the Mountains Take a new earthen pot and put into it a new cord so handsomely that the whole pot may be filled so laid in rounds that no more can go in cover it and lute it well three or four times that it may have no vent for the whole business depends on this Then make a fire round about it by degrees that first it may grow hot then very hot and lastly red hot and if sometimes the smoke come forth stop the chinks with clay still then heaped up under the coles let it grew cold of it self and opening the Pot you shall finde the Cord black like a cole Light this Cord and it will neither smoke nor smell CHAP. XI Fire-compositions for Festival days I Have shewed you Terrible and Monstrous fire-works it is fit to shew you some to use at Solemn Times not so much for use as to give you occasion to find out higher matters I shall shew then how to make one That when a man comes into his Chamber the whole Air way take fire Take a great quantity of the best refined Aqua vitae and put Camphire into it cut small for it will soon dissolve in it when it is dissolved shut the Windows and Chamber-doors that the vapour that exhales may not get forth when the vessel is full with water let it boil with coles put under without any flame that all the water may resolve into smoke and fill the Chamber and it will be so thin that you can scarce perceive it Let some man enter into the Chamber with a lighted Candle in his hand and the Air by the Candle light will take fire all about and the whole Chamber will be in a flame like an Oven and will much terrifie one that goes in If you dissolve in the water a little Musk or Amber-greese after the flame you shall smell a curious sent Also there is made Exceeding burning water Thus Take old strong black Wine put into it quick Lime Tartar Salt and quick-Brimstone draw out the water of them with a glass retort This will burn exceedingly and never cease till it be all consumed If you put it into a vessel with a very large mouth and put flame neer it it will presently take fire if when it is on fire you cast it against a wall or by night out at the window you shall see the Air full of sparks and kindled with fires It will burn held in your hands and yet will not scald you Distil it once again and it will burn the less But if you take equal parts of quick Lime and Salt and shall mingle them with common Oyl and make little Balls and cast them into the belly of the retort at the neck and then shall draw forth the Oyl by a vehement fire and mingling this Oyl again with Salt and quick Lime shall distill them again and shall do the same four times an Oyl will come forth that will burn wonderfully that some deservedly call it infernal Oyl A Solemn Pleasant fire is made for the Theater If Camphire be dissolved in Aqua vitae and with that Fillets Papers or Parchments be smeered and being dried again be lighted and shall fall from a loft as they fall lighted through the Air you shall see Serpents with great delight But if you dessire To cast flame a great way Do thus Beat Colophonia Frankincense or Amber finely and hold them in the palm of your hand and put a lighted Candle between your fingers and as you throw the Powder into the Air let it pass through the flame of the Candle for the flame will fly up high If you will have that Many Candles shall be lighted presently on Festival Days as I hear they are wont to do amongst the Turks You shall boil Brimstone and Orpiment with Oyl and in them let thred boil when it is dry bind it to the wicks of Candles and let them pass through for when one head is lighted the flame will run to them all and set them on fire Some call it Hermes his Oyntment Any man may Eating in the dark cast sparkles out of his mouth It is pleasant for the Spectators and it is thus Let a man eat Sugar-candy for as he breaks it with his teeth sparkles will seem to fly out of his mouth as if one should rub a fire-brand CHAP. XII Of some Experiments of Fires I Will set down some Experiments that are without the ranks of the rest I held it better to conceal them but they may give you occasion to think on greater matters by them If you will That Bullets from Brass Guns may enter deeper you may easily try this against a wall or plank set up Let the Ball rather go into the hollow of it streight then wide but wet it in Oyl before you put it in and so cast it in this Bullet shot off by force of fire will go in twice as far as otherwise The reason is easie for the Oyl takes away the occasion of the Airs breathing forth for all vents being stopt the flames striving within cast forth the Bullet with more violence as we shall shew more at large So also will the Bullets of Brass Guns penetrate with more force and if you lard the Bullets they will penetrate through Arms of proof I can also by a cunning Artifice Shoot a man through with a Bullet and no place shall be seen where it went in or came forth The minde of man is so cunning that it hath invented a way to shoot a man quite through with a Bullet and yet no mark of the Bullet shall appear though all the inward parts be bruised and beaten through Consider that what things are heavy are solid and so subtile that they will penetrate and leave no marks where they entred or came out and they will do the same though they be united as if they were disjoynted and every part will act by it self alone as it would do being united I have said thus to take away all occasions from ignorant and wicked people to do mischief I saw A Gun discharge often and yet no more powder was put in Famous Souldiers use
this not onely for Brass Cannon but for small hand-Guns It is thus wrap a paper three or four times about the rammer that is put into the hollow mouth of the Gun and drawing out the Gun-stick fill that hollow place with Powder and Bullet here and there let the Bullets be stopt in and glewed fast that no scissure or vent may appear in the paper First let it be put into the Gun but loosly that the Powder put in above may come to the vent-hole beneath then put your measure of Powder in atop and stamp in your Bullet putting Gunpowder to the touch-hole and putting fire to it the upper Ball shall be shot off with its Powder presently thrust in a sharp instrument at the vent-hole and make a hole in the Carteridge and feed it with Powder and put fire to it again and in short time it will discharge twice I can Blind your eyes with the smoke This may much profit when enemies come to storm a City But first we must consider the wind that it may be on the backs of our men and may carry the smoke into the faces of our enemies Let there be measures made like lanthorns so wide that they may go in at the mouths of the Brass Guns fill them with Powder of Euphorbium Pepper quick Lime Vine-ashes and Arsnick sublimate and put them into the hollow of it after the Gunpowder for by force of the fire will these paper-frames break and the smoke of the Powder if it come at the eyes of the enemies will so trouble them that casting away their weapons they can hardly save their eyes CHAP. XIII How it may be that a Candle shall burn continually BEfore we end this Book I shall discover whether it may be that a Candle once lighted should never be put our which seems very contrary to the reason of the corruptible things of this world and to be past belief But let us see first whether the Antients ever attempted it or did it We read in the Roman Histories that there was at Rome in the Temple of the goddess Vesta and of Minerva at Athens and of Apollo at Delphi a perpetual fire kindled But this seems to be false for I remember that I have read in many Authors that this perpetual fire was always kept so by the Vestal Nuns that it should never go out as we find it in Plutarch in the Life of Numa and then in the time of the Civil War and of Mithridates it went out At Delphi it was watched by widows who took care by always pouring in of Oyl that it should never go forth but this failed when the Medes burnt that Temple Of the same sort was that fire God appointed by Moses in the Scriptures The fire shall always burn upon mine Altar which the Priest shall always keep lighted putting under wood day by day Wherefore the fire was not perpetual in the Temples of the gods of the Gentiles Yet I read that about the Town Ateste neer Padus there was found an earthen Pitcher in which there was another little Pitcher and in that there was found a little light still burning which by the hands of some ignorant fellows pouring it rudely forth was broken and so the falme was put out And in our time about the year 600. in the stand Nesis that stands in Naples there was a Marble Sepulchre of some Roman found and that being opened a Vial was found within it in which there was a Candle when this was broken and it came to the light it went out it was shut in before the coming of our Saviour Some others I have heard of by report of my friends that were found and seen with their eyes Whence I collect this may be done and was done by our Ancestors Let us see if we can do the same Some say that Oyl of Metals may last long and almost perpetually But this is false for Oyl of Metals will not burn Others say Oyl of Juniper from the wood will last long because the coles of that wood may be kept a whole year alive under ashes But this is most false because I kept a cole under ashes and it would not last two nor yet one day and the Oyl of the wood burns most vehemently and is sooner wasted then common Oyl Some boast they have drawn Oyl from the incombustible stone thinking that flame cannot consume that for a wick made thereof will never be burnt and yet burns always if you put Oyl always to it But if that be true that the wick is not consumed by fire yet that follows not 〈…〉 And no man yet was ever seen to draw Oyl from the stone 〈◊〉 that would burn Others think that Oyl drawn from common Salt will last always for if you cast Salt into Oyl it makes the Oyl in the Lamp last twice as long and not be consumed which I affirm to be true therefore if Oyl be distilled from it it will burn always and never waste Yet this follows not that Oyl drawn from Salt will burn continually and Oyl distilled from it will burn no more than a stone of Aqua fortis that parts Gold and Silver of which kind it is But it is an ignorant thing to imagine that an Oyl may be made that shall burn always and never consume Wherefore some other thing must be thought on Some say and they do not think foolishly that fire in a Vial doth not always burn but in the Vial there is some composition laid up that so soon as it comes to the Air presently takes fire and seems to burn onely at that time yet it never burned before This may be true for as I often have laboured in Chymical matters a glass well stopt and forgot by me after the things were burnt in it and being so left for many moneths I may say many years at last being opened hath been seen to flame and burn and smoke What I had burnt I had forgot but they might be the same things that I heard of by my friend that had the same chance for when he had boil'd Litharge Tartar quick Lime and Cinnaber in Vinegar until it was all evaporated and then covering and luting the Vessel well he set it into a vehement fire and when it was enough he set it by till it was cold after some moneths when he went to open it to see his work a flame suddenly flew out of the Vessel and set fire on some things when as he thought of no such matter and the same hath happened to many more Moreover when I boiled Linseed Oyl for the Press when the flames took within I covered the pot with clothes to put it out after some time I opened the Vessel the Oyl at the Air coming to it flamed again and took fire But experience is against this opinion For who saw a Candle shut up close in a glass Vial and to keep its flaming quality and to give light For the Ancients thought
that the souls of the dead did always rest in the grave as the ashes do and that they might not lye in the dark they endeavovred all they could to send out this light that their souls might enjoy light continually Therefore we must think on another experiment and make trial of it But this must be held for a rare and firm principle in Natures shop that the cause of wonders is because there can be no vacuum and the frame of the work will sooner break asunder and all things run to nothing then there can be any such thing Wherefore if a flame were shut up in a glass and all vent-holes stopt close if it could last one moment it would last continually and it were not possible for it to be put out There are many wonders declared in this Book and many more shall be set down that have no other cause But how the flame should be lighted within side this is worth the while to know It must be a liquor or some subtile substance and that will evaporate but little and if then it can be shut up in the glass when the glass is shut it will last always which may easily be performed by burning-glasses fire industry and cunning It cannot be extinguished because the Air can come in nowhere to fill up the emptiness of the Vial The Oyl is always turned into smoke and this being it cannot be dissolved into Air it turns to Oyl and kindleth again and so it will always by course afford fuel for the light You have heard the beginnings now search labour and make trial THE THIRTEENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Of tempering Steel THE PROEME I Have taught you concering monstrous Fires and before I part from them I shall treat of Iron Mines for Iron is wrought by Fire not that I intend to handle the Art of it but onely to set down some of the choicest Secrets that are no less necessary for the use of men in those things I have spoken of already besides the things I spake of in my Chymical works Of Iron there are made the best and the worst Instruments for the life of man saith Pliny For we use it for works of Husbandry and building of Houses and we use it for Wars and Slaughters not onely hard by but to shoot with Arrows and Darts and Bullets far off For that man might die the sooner he hath made it swift and hath put wings to Iron I shall teach you the divers tempers of Iron and how to make it soft and hard that it shall not onely cut Iron and other the hardest substances but shall engrave the hardest Porphyr and Marble Stones In brief the force of Iron conquers all things CHAP. I. That Iron by mixture may be made harder IT is apparent by most famous and well-known Experience that Iron will grow more hard by being tempered and be made soft also And when I had sought a long time whether it would grow soft or hard by hot cold moist or dry things I found that hot things would make it hard and soft and so would cold and all the other qualities wherefore somthing else must be thought on to hunt out the causes I found that it will grow hard by its contraries and soft by things that are friendly to it and so I came to Sympathy and Antipathy The Ancients thought it was done by some Superstitious Worship and that there was a Chain of Iron by the River Euphrates that was called Zeugma wherewith Alexander the Great had there bound the Bridge and that the links of it that were new made were grown rusty the other links not being so Pliny and others think That this proceeded from some different qualities it may be some juices or Minerals might run underneath that left some qualities whereby Iron might be made hard or soft He saith But the chief difference is in the water that it is oft plunged into when it is red hot The pre-eminence of Iron that is so profitable hath made some places famous here and there as Bilbilis and Turassio in Spain Comum in Italy yet are there no Iron Mynes there But of all the kindes the Seric Iron bears the Garland in the next place the Parthian nor are there any other kindes of Iron tempered of pure Steel for the rest are mingled Justine the Historian reports That in Gallicia of Spain the chiefest matter for Iron is found but the water there is more fortible then the Iron for the tempering with that makes the Iron more sharp and there is no weapon approved amongst them that is not made of the River Bilbilis or tempered with the water of Chalybes And hence are those people that live neer this River called Chalybes and they are held to have the best Iron Yet Strabo saith That the Chalybes were people in Pontus neer the River Thermodon Virgil speaks And the naked Calybes Iron Then as Pliny saith It is commonly made soft with Oyl and hardened by Water It is a custome to quench thin Bars of Iron in Oyl that they may not grow brittle by being quenched in Water Nothing hath put me forward more to seek higher matters then this certain Experiment That Iron may be made so weak and soft by Oyl that it may be wrested and broken with ones hands and by Water it may be made so hard and stubborn that it will cut Iron like Lead CHAP. II. How Iron will wax soft I Shall first say how Iron may grow soft and become tractable so that one may make Steel like Iron and Iron soft as Lead That which is hard grows soft by fat things as I said and without fat matter by the fire onely as Pliny affirm Iron made red hot in the fire unless you beat it hard it corrupts as if he should say Steel grows soft of it self if it be oft made red hot and left to cool of it self in the fire and so will Iron grow softer I can do the same divers wayes That Iron may grow soft Anoynt Iron with Oyl Wax Asafoetida and lure it over with straw and dung and dry it then let it for one night be made red hot in burning coals When it grows cold of it self you shall finde it soft and tractable Or take Brimstone three parts four parts of Potters Earth powdered mingle these with Oyl to make it soft Then cover the Iron in this well and dry it and bury it in burning coals and as I said you may use Tallow and Butter the same way Iron wire red hot if it cool alone it will be so soft and ductible that you may use them like Flax. There are also soft juices of Herbs and fat as Mallons Bean-Pods and such-like that can soften Iron but they must be hot when the Iron is quenched and Juices not distilled Waters for Iron will grow hard in all cold waters and in liquid Oyl CHAP. III. The temper of Iron must be used upon soft Irons I Have said how Iron may
Aqua fortis that eats the paper or some decaying liquors that will vanish with any light touch and leave the place where they were without any spot I shall teach How letters are made that eat the paper If you mingle oyl of Vitriol with common ink or any other black colour in few days by corroding the paper or the ink it self the letters will vanish or in a moneth as you put in more or less of the oyl and this you may try before you send away your letter If you would have it work more slowly add but a little oyl if faster put in more you may when it is too strong put some water to it The same is performed if you mix a strong lye they call it the Capital with your ink for first they will be yellow and then they will vanish The same is done by oyl of Tartar or Salt Alkali or Soda and strong water of separation of Gold for these corrode the letters and the paper that nothing of the letters will appear If you desire to know How letters may be made that will soon vanish Make them with the strongest Aqua vitae or use Camphir and burnt straws for the letters in time will decay and vanish the tincture will fall off when the glutinous matter is gone Make a powder of a very fine touch-stone for the Sandy-stone will sooner decay that no letter shall be seen Also it is done Another way Infuse the small filings of steel in water of separation take a treble quantity of this and add thereto liquid Pitch or Soot of Turpentine to make it the blacker and cover the vessel grind this on a Porphyre-stone write and they will vanish and fall away This secret I thought not fit to overpass because it is the principal thing to be considered to make tryal oft-times for if it stay long on the paper add more strong water to it and if you be careful no mark of the writing will remain You shall do it like to this another way If it be good so to counterfeit Take Chrysocolla Salt Ammoniac and Alom all alike powder them all and put them into a Crucible and make a strong lye of quick-lime and laying a linnen cloth over the mouth of the vessel that must receive it strain it boil it a little mingle this with your ink they will remain a while but in short time the letters will vanish away Set it up for you use But contrarily if you will That invisible letters after some time shall become visible and shew themselves I will give you some examples that you may invent more thereby your self If you write with juice of Citrons or Oranges on Copper or Brass and leave this so for twenty days the letters will appear green upon the place the same may be done many other ways namely by dissolving salt Ammoniac in water and writing with it upon Brass the place will sooner appear of verdigreese-colour CHAP. X. How we may take off letters that are written upon the paper IF we would take letters from off the paper or that such as are blotted out might appear again we must use this art As if we would Take letters off the paper or from parchment Take Aqua fortis that is it that parts gold from silver with a pensil wipe some of this upon the letters it will presently wipe off letters written with Gall and Copras If you use Aqua fortis wherein salt Ammoniac is dissolved it will be sooner done But printed letters are harder taken out because that ink hath neither Galls nor Copras Or rub it with salt Alkali and Sulphur making little balls of them and that will eat them out that nothing shall be seen But if you desire to write any thing in the place you have made clean first wet the place with water wherein Alom is dissolved for the ink will not run about If you desire To renew letters decayed or to read such as are vanished Boil Galls in wine and with a spunge wipe over the letters the letters will presently be seen when they are once wet thus and be well coloured as they were at first CHAP. XI How to counterfeit a seal and writing IT may be of great use when places are besieged and in Armies and affairs of great men to know how to open letters that are sealed with the Generals Seal and signed with his Name to know what is contained within and to seal them again writing others that are contrary to them and the like I will shew how To counterfeit the Seal Melt Sulphur and cast it into powder of Ceruss while it is melted put this mixture upon the Seal but sence it about with paper or wax or chalk and press it down when it is cold take it off and in that shall you have the print of the Seal I will do it another way Fill an earthen pot with Vinegar cast Vitriol into it and a good deal of Verdigreese let it bubble on the fire put plates of iron into it after a short time take them out and from the out-side with your knife scrape off a kind of rust it hath contracted that is durty as it were and put this into a dish under it again put them into the earthen pot and scrape more off when you take them out do this so often till you have some quantity of this durty substance cast quick-silver into this and make a mixture and while it is soft and tender lay it on the Seal and press it down and let it remain in the open Air for it will grow so hard that you may almost seal with it for it will become even like to a Metal It may be also done another way Take the filings of steel and put them in an earthen Crucible at a strong fire put such things to it as will hasten the melting of it when it is melted cast it into some hollow place pownd it in a brass Mortar for it will be easily done do it so three or four times then powder it and mingle quick-silver with it and let it boil in a glazed vessel six hours till it be well mingled then press the seal upon it and let it cool and it will become exceeding hard It is possible To make a great Seal less if it should happen that we want a lesser seal we must do thus Take Isinglass and dissolve it in water anoynt the figure with oyl that it may not stick to the glew compass the seal about with wax that the matter run not about put the Isinglass to the fire and melt it pour it upon the seal after three hours when it is cold take it away and let it dry for the seal when it is dry will be drawn less equally If you will Imitate the form of a writing do thus Open the letter upon a looking-glass that wants the foyl upon the letter lay white paper and a light under the glass temper your ink as the writing is
third order once R by the same twice and thrice as many of the same signifies S and so it holds for four Thus a woman from a watch-Tower with three lights shewed five times then with double ones twice then with treble lights twice then again with one at once and with the same four times then five times with three lights then thrice and with as many four times shall signifie vir adest the man is come Also the lights may be of divers colours if they would shew that friends are neer Also by smoke we may shew that our enemies are neer or some other thing Hence it was that by the policy of Amilcar the men of Agrigentum being drawn off far from the City amongst their enemies that they pursued unto an ambuscado where the enemies lay hid and a by wood set on fire suffered a great overthrow for when they thought they were called back by their friends by reason of a smoke they supposed to come from the walls when they turned their course to go to the City Amilcar commanding the Carthaginians followed them who fled before and so slew them THE SEVENTEENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Wherein are propounded Burning-glass and the wonderful sights to be seen by them THE PROEME NOw I am come to Mathematical Sciences and this place requires that I shew some experiments concerning Catoptrick-glasses For these shine amongst Geometrical instruments for Ingenâ—ity Wonder and Profit For what could be invented more ingeniously then that certain experiments should follow the imaginary conceits of the mind and the truth of Mathematical Demonstrations should be made good by Ocular experiments what could seem more wonderful then that by reciprocal strokes of reflexion Images should appear outwardly hanging in the Air and yet neither the visible Object nor the Glass seen that they may seem not to be the repercussion of the Glasses but Spirits of vain Phantasms to see burning Glasses not to burn alone where the beams unite but at a great distance to cast forth terrible fires and flames that are most profitable in warlike expeditions as in many other things We read that Archimedes at Syracuse with burning Glasses defeated the forces of the Romans and that King Ptolomey built a Tower in Pharos where he set a Glass that he could for six hundred miles see by it the enemies Ships that invaded his Country and plundered it I shall adde also those Spectacles whereby poor blinde people can at great distance perfectly see all things And though venerable Antiquity seem to have invented many and great things yet I shall set down greater more Noble and more Famous things and that will not a little help to the Optick Science that more sublime wits may increase it infinitely Lastly I shall shew how to make Crystal and Metal Glasses and how to polish them CHAP. I. Divers representations made by plain Glasses I Shall begin with plain Glasses for they are more simple and the speculations thereof are not so laborious though the apparitions of them be almost common yet they will be useful for what follows and we shall add some secret apparitions unto them The variety of the Images that appear proceed either from the matter or form of the Glass Crystal must be clear transparent and exactly made plain on both sides and if one or both of these be wanting they will represent divers and deformed apparitions to our sight I shall therefore begin from the matter and shew How apparitions may seem to him that looks upon them to be pale yellow or of divers colours When the Glass is melted with heat in the furnace with any little colour it will be tainted if you cast in yellow the face of him that looks into it will seem to have they yellow Jaundies if black he will appear wan and deformed if you add much of it like to a blackmoore if red like a drunkard or furious fellow and so will it represent Images of any colour How to mingle the colours I taught when I spake of Jewels I have oft made sport with the most fair women with these Glasses when they looked and saw not themselves as they were but there are many varieities arise from the form That the face of him that looks on the Glass may seem to be divided in the middle Let the superficies of the looking-glasse that you look on be plain and exactly polished by rule but the backside must have a blunt angle in the middle that the highest part of it may be in the middle in the outward parts it must be sharp and pressed down then lay on the foil wherefore the Image that falls on your sight where the lines meet in the angle will seem divided into two If you will That he that looks in the Glass shall seem like an Ass Dog or Sow By variation of the place the Angles and the representation of the Form beheld will seem various If that part of the Glass that is set against your mouth shall stick forth before like a wreathed band or a Boss-buckler your mouth will appear to come forth like an Asses or Sows snout but if it swell forth against your eyes your eyes will seem to be put forth like shrimps eyes if the Angle be stretched forth by the length of the Glass your Forehead Nose and Chin will seem to be sharp as the mouth of a Dog That the whole face may seem various and deformed Let a plain Glass not be exactly plain and even which that it may be done when the Glass is once made plain put it into the furnace again and let it be turned by the skilful hand of an Artist till it lose its right position then foil it Then the Image on the hollow part of the Glass will represent the opposite part hollow so it will hold forth one lying along on his face or crooked and swelling outwardly and inwardly Then if when the Glass is polished one side be rubbed the face will seem long and broad wherefore it must be rubbed and fashioned on all sides that it may every way represent a perfect face I shall shew you also How to make a Glass to represent many Images That it may shew divers Images one after another and of divers colours make the solid body of the Looking-glass or Glass that is half a finger thick and let it be so plained that upon one side the thickness may not be touched but on the other side the lines of the two superficies may meet as the sharp edge of a Knife Mâ—ke also another table of a Glass the same way or else more lay a foil of Tin upon the last and place one of them upon the other so that the thinner part of the one may lye upon the thick part of the other so will the face of one that looks into it appear to be two one behind the other and the nethermost will always appear darkest So if by the same Artifice you fit three tables of
you may By a Convex Lenticular Crystal see an Image hanging in the Air. If you put the thing to be seen behind the Lenticular that it may pass thorow the Centre and set your eyes in the opposite part you shall see the Image between the Glass and your eyes and if you set a paper against it you shall see it clearly so that a lighted Candle will seem to burn upon the Paper But By a Concave Lenticular to describe compendiously how long and broad things are A Painter may do it with great commodity and proportion for by opposition to a Concave Lenticular those things that are in a great Plain are contracted into a small compass by it so that a Painter that beholds it may with little labour and skill draw them all proportionably and exactly but to leave nothing concerning spectacles I will shew How a thing may appear multiplied Amongst sports that are carried about a spectacle is of no small account that Glass Instrument we put to our eyes to see the better with For of those things that delude the sight there can be no better way invented then by the medium for that being changed all things are changed Wherefore prepare that of very solid thick Glass that it may be the better worked by a wheel into proportions wherefore fit it into many Forms and Angles whereby we desire to multiply any thing but in the middle of them let the Angles be Pyramidal and let it agree with the sight that from divers Forms Images may be retracted to the eyes that they cannot discern the truth Being now made of divers superficies set them to your eyes and if you look upon any mans face hard-by you will think you see Argus one that is all Eyes If his nose you shall see nothing but nose so his hands fingers arms that you shall see no man but Briareus the Poet faigned to have have an hundred hands If you look upon Money you shall see many for one that you cannot touch it with your hands but it will often deceive you and it is better to pay with it then to receive If you see a Galley afar off you will think it is a fleet of war If a Souldier walks that it is an Army marching And thus are things doubled and men seem to have two faces and two bodies Thus are there divers ways to see that one thing may seem to be another and all these things will be evident to those that seek and enquire after them by tryal CHAP. XI Of Spectacles whereby one may see very far beyond imagination I Will not omit a thing admirable and exceeding useful how bleare-ey'd people may see very far and beyond that one would believe I spake of Plotomies Glass or rather spectacle whereby for six hundred miles he saw the enemies ships coming and I shall attempt to shew how that might be done that we may know our friends some miles off and read the smallest letters at a great distance which can hardly be seen A thing needful for mans use and grounded upon the Opticks And this may be done very easily but the matter is not so to be published too easily yet perspective will make it clear Let the strongest sight be in the Centre of the Glass where it shall be made and all the Sun beams are most powerfully disperst and unite not but in the Centre of the foresaid Glass in the middle of it where diameters cross one the other there is the concourse of them all Thus is a Concave pillar-Glass made with sides equidistant but let it be fitted by those Sections to the side with one oblique Angle but obtuse Angled Triangles or right Angled Triangles must be cut here and there with cross lines drawn from the Centre and so will the spectacle be made that is profitable for that use I speak of CHAP. XII How we may see in a Chamber things that are not I Thought this an Artifice not to be despised for we may in any Chamber if a man look in see those things which were never there and there is no man so witty that will think he is mistaken Wherefore to describe the matter Let there be a Chamber whereinto no other light comes unless by the door or window where the spectator looks in let the whole window or part of it be of Glass as we use to do to keep out the cold but let one part be polished that there may be a Looking-glass on both sides whence the spectator must look in for the rest do nothing Let Pictures be set over against this window Marble statues and such-like for what is without will seem to be within and what is behind the spectators back he will think to be in the middle of the House as far from the Glass inward as they stand from it outwardly and so clearly and certainly that he will think he sees nothing but truth But lest the skill should be known let the part be made so where the Ornament is that the spectator may not see it as above his head that a pavement may come between above his head and if an ingenious man do this it is impossible that he should suppose that he is deceived CHAP. XIII Of the operations of a Crystal Pillar NOr shall the operations of a Crystal Pillar go unspoken of for in it there are some speculations not to be despised First To kindle fire with a Crystal Pillar by opposing it to the Sun it will kindle fire behind it about the circumference oft-times left above the Chamber when the Sun shined it burnt the Blankets They that will at set hours and places burn the enemies camps if it be laid upon fuel for fire it will certainly kindle it We may also With a Crystal Pillar make an Image hang in the Aire It will shew the Image hanging in the Air both before and behind Let the Object be behind the Pillar let the Pillar be between that and the eye the Image will appear outwardly hanging in the Air above the Pillar parted every where from the Pillar clearly and perspicuously and if the visible Object be between the eye and the Pillar the Image will appear behind the Pillar as I said If it be a very visible Object as fire or a candle the matter is seen more clearly without any difficulty I gave the reasons in my Opticks We may also In a Crystal Pillar see many Rain-bows Make a solid-Pillar in a Glass furnace so great as a Walnut and let it be made round onely by the fire as the manner is as Glass-makers use to do that without any help of the wheel the outward superficies may be most polite where the Iron touched it there leave a Pedestall It is no matter for pure Glass for impure is best place this upon your eye and a burning candle over against it the light refracted by bladders will shew infinite Rain-bows and all the light will seem Golden-colour'd that nothing can be
more pleasant to behold CHAP. XIV Of Burning-Glasses I Proceed to Burning-Glasses which being opposed against the Sun beams will kindle fire upon matter laid under them In these also are the greatest secrets of Nature known I shall describe what is found out by Eâ—clide Ptolomy and Archimedes and I shall add our own inventions that the Readers may judge how far new inventions exceed the old Fire is kindled by reflection retraction and by a simple and a compound Glass I shall begin from a simple reflection and from A Concave-Glass that shall kindle fire behind it which few have observed Know that a Concave-glass will burn from its middle point unto the hexagonal-side above the Glass as far as a fourth part of its diameter from the hexagonal-side as far as the tetragonal without the Glass on the lower part of it Wherefore cut off that part of the semicircle which is situate from a pentagon as far as a tetragon as it were the band of the circle and this being polished and opposed against the Sun will cast fire far from it behinde it I will say no more because I said more at large in my Opticks concerning this So also we may With a Concave Pillar or Pyramidal kindle fire but very slowly with delay onely and in the Summer-Sun it kindles in the whole line and not in a point but being extended by the point of accension of its circle The same will fall out by a Pyramidal Concave CHAP. XV. Of a Parabolical Section that is of all Glasses the most burning THat is called a Parabolical Section that more forcibly farther off and in shorter time will set matter on fire that is opposite to it it will melt Lead and Tin My friends related to me that Gold and Silver also but I have made them red hot By which invention of Archimedes as appears by the testimony of Galen and many more We read that he set the Roman Navy on fire when Marcellus besieged Syracuse his Country Plutarch in the life of Pompilius saith The fire that burnt in Diana's Temple was lighted by this Glass that is by instruments that are made of the side of right triangle whose feet are equal These made hollow do from the circumference respect one Centre When therefore they are held against the Sun so that the beams kindled may be gathered from all parts and be united in the Centre and that they do fever the Air rarified it soon sets on fire all fuel that is combustible opposed against it by kindling first the lightest and driest parts the beams being as so many fiery darts falling upon the Object In a Concave spherical Glass the beams meeting together kindle fire in a fourth part of the diameter under the Centre which are directed within the side of a Hexagon from the superficies of the circle But a Parabolical Section is wherein all the beams meet in one point from all the parts of its superficies Cardanus teacheth how such a Glass should be made If we would kindle fire at a mile distance we must describe a circle whose diameter must be two miles long and of this we must take such a part that the roundness of it may not lye hid namely a sixtieth part to which we must add a dimetient according to the altitude in one point and upon the fixt diameter must we bring about part of the circle which shall describe the portion of a Sphere which when we have polished if we hold it against the Sun it will kindle a most violent fire a mile off 'T is strange how many follies he betrays himself guilty of in these words First he promiseth a Glass should burn a mile off which I think is impossible to burn thirty foot off for it would be of a wonderful vastness for the superficies of the Cane is so plain to receive any crookedness it can hardly be made so great Moreover to describe a circle whose diameter should be two miles long what compasses must we use and what plate shall we make it on or who shall draw it about And if it be true that Archimedes by a Parabolical Glass did burn ships from the wall the distance could not be above ten paces as appears by the words of the Authors themselves for in the same place he raised ships and threw them against the Rocks and his engines were Iron bars the greatest part whereof lay backward and by reason of those iron crows it is manifest it could be done no other ways There are other fooleries but I pass them for brevity sake that I might not seem tedious the cause of his error was that he never had made any such Glasses for had he tried it he would have spoke otherwise But I will now shew how To make a Glass out of a Parabolical Section The way to describe it is this Let the distance be known how far we would have the Glass to burn namely AB ten foot for were it more it could hardly be done double the line AB and make ABC the whole line will be AC from the point A draw a right line DA and let DA and AE be equal one to the other and cut at right Angles by AC but both of them must be joined to the quantity AC as DCE which in C make a right Angle DCE Therefore the Triangle DCE is a right angled Triangle and equal sides and were this turned about the Axis CD until it come to its own place whence it parted there would be made a right angled Cane EDNC whose Parabolical Section will be ABC the right line DC will be the Axis of the Cane and CE shall be the semidiameter of the basis of the Cane Through the point C you must draw a line parallel to DE and that is HI of the length of CE and CD and by the point B draw another parallel to the said line ED which is FBG and let BG and BF be both of them equal to AC so FG shall be the upright side and HI the basis of the Parabolical Section If therefore a line be drawn through the points HEAGI that shall be a Parabolical Section the Diagram whereof is this that follows But if you will burn any thing you must not make your Parabolical Glass to the bigness of the whole line HFAGI but onely take a part thereof as if we would take the top part of it LAM that the line LM may cut AC in K or greater or lesser if you will make one greater cut off AK beneath it for the bigger it is the more quickly and vehemently wil it burn if you will have it less take it above AK But thus you must do that the crooked line LAM may be more exactly described that you may not commit the least error Wherefore on a plain Table I protract the line ABC and let AB be double the distance that we intend to burn any thing that is the length of the line ABC
some hours and so let it stand and stir it not Now I will shew How a foil is put upon a Concave Glass But it is more laborious to lay a foil on a Concave-Glass Prepare then a foil of the bigness of your Glass that you shall lay upon the Convex superficies and holding it fast with a finger of your left hand upon the Centre with your right hand you shall fit the foil round about and shall extend it on the said superficies until it become of the same form with that convex superficies and stick every where even unto it Then of moist Gyp shall you prepare a form of the Glass namely by pouring Gyp upon the Convex superficies and when the Gyp is dry you have the form Upon the form extend a foil of Tin and let it agree perfectly with the form every where because the form and the foil are made after the same superficies strew quick-silver upon the foil and as I said make it stick by means of a Hares foot The Artists call this Avâ—vare put paper upon it and pressing this upon the Glass take away the paper when you know it sticks fast take away your hand and lay on a weight and after â—â—ke it away but with a careful balancing of your hand lest it take wind and that the quick silver may all stick fast every where Now remains how To terminate Convex-Glasses Make Glass Balls but of pure Glass and without bladders as much as you can as the receivers for distillations and from the hollow iron that it is blown in by let this liquid moisture be projected namely of Antimony and Lead but the Antimony must be melted twice or thrice and purged and cast Colophonia in So stir the mixture in the hollow vessel and what remains cast forth and so in Germany they make Convex-Glasses CHAP. XXIII How Metal Looking-Glasses are made BUt Metal-Glasses are made another way Wherefore if a Parabolical-Glass be to be made draw a Parabolical line upon a brass or wooden Table what is without it must be filed away that it may be equal smooth and polished fasten it upon an Axis in the middle and fit it with Instruments that may be fitly turned about let there be clay with straw under it made up with dung that the Table being turned about it may receive a Concave form exactly then let it dry strew ashes upon it and plaister clay above that of a convenient thickness let it dry by the fire or if you will by heat of the Sun take it off for it will easily part from the ashes unite them together that as much space may be between both forms as you think fit for the thickness of the Glass when it is dry cover it with this leaving an open orifice on the top and some breathing places that the Air may breathe forth at it Then make such a mixture let them be put into a new pot that will endure the fire and lute it well within that it may hold the faster let it dry well and do this twice or thrice over set it to the fire and melt in it two pounds of Tartar and as many of white Arsenick when you see them fume pour in fifty pounds of old brass often used and let it melt six or seven times that it may be pure and cleansed then adde twenty five pounds of English Pewter and let them melt together draw forth some little of the mixture with some Iron and try it whether it be brittle or hard if it be brittle put in more Brass if too hard put in Pewter or else let it boil that some part of the Pewter may evaporate when it is come to the temper it should be cast upon it two ounces of Borax and let it alone till it dissolve into smoke then cast it into your Mold and let it cool When it is cool rub it with a Pumice-stone then with powder of Emril When you see that the superficies is perfectly polished and equal rub it over with Tripolis Lastly make it bright and shining with burnt Tin most adde a third part of Pewter to the Brass that the mass may be the harder and become more perspicuous THE EIGHTEENTH BOOK OF Natural Magick Treating of things heavy and light THE PROEME MAny miracles worth relating and to be contemplated do offer themselves when I begin to describe heavy and light and these things may be applied to very necessary and profitable uses and if any man shall more deeply consider these things he may invent many new things that may be employed for very profitable ends Next after these follow wind Instruments that are almost from the same reason CHAP. I. That heavy things do not descend in the same degree of gravity nor light things ascend BEfore I shall come to what I intend to demonstrate I must premise somethings necessary and set down some actions without the knowledge whereof we can make no proof nor demonstration I call that heavy that descends to the Centre and I say it is so much the heavior the sooner it descends contrarily that is light that ascends from the Centre and the lighter that ascends soonest I say that bodies yield one to the other and do not penetrate one the other as wine and water and other liquors Moreover this action must be premised that there is no body that is heavy in its own kind as water in the element of water or Air in Air. Also vacuum is so abhorred by Nature that the world would sooner be pulled asunder than any vacuity can be admitted and from this repugnancy of vacuum proceeds almost the cause of all wonderful things which it may be I shall shew in a Book on this Subject It is the force of vacuum that makes heavy things ascend and light things descend contrary to the rule of Nature so necessary it is that there can be nothing in the world without a Body Therefore these things being premised I shall descend to somethings And first a most heavy body shut up in a vessel whose mouth is turned downwards into some liquor that is heavior or of the same kind I say it will not descend Let the vessel turned with the mouth downwards be A B filled with water the mouth of it beneath must be put into a broad mouth'd vessel C D full of water be it with the same liquor or with another that is heavior I say the water will not descend out of the vessel A B. For should the water contained in the vessel A B descend it must needs be heavior than the water contain'd in the broad mouth'd vessel C D which I said was of the same kind or heavior if then it should fall down it would be against the first action The same would fall out if both vessels were filled with wine or water For if the water contained in the vessel A B should descend into the place of C D there would remain vacuity in A being there is
end of the Pipe and he that is at the other end shall do the like the voice may be intercepted in the middle and be shut up as in a prison and when the mouth is opened the voice will come forth as out of his mouth that spake it but because such long Pipes cannot be made without trouble they may be bent up and down like a Trumpet that a long Pipe may be kept in a small place and when the mouth is open the words may be understood I am now upon trial of it if before my Book be Printed the business take effect I will set it down if not if God please I shall write of it elsewhere CHAP. II. Of Instruments Musical made with water OLd Water-Instruments were of great esteem but in our days the use is worn out Yet we read that Nero took such delight in them that when his Life and Empire were in danger amongst the seditions of Souldiers and Commanders and all was in imminent danger he would not forsake the care of them and pleasure he took in them Vitruvius teacheth us how they were made but so obscurely and mystically that what he says is very little understood I have tryed this by many and sundry ways by mingling air with water which placing in the end of a Pipe or in my mouth where the breath of the mouth strikes against the air and though this made a pleasant noise yet it kept no tune For whilst the water bubbles and trembles or warbles like a Nitingale the voice is changed in divers tunes one note is sweet and pleasant two squele and jar But this way it will make a warbling sound and keep the tune Let there be made a Brass bottom'd Chest for the Organ wherein the wind must be carried let it behalf full of water let the wind be made by bellows or some such way that must run through a neck under the waters but the spirit that breaks forth of the middle of the water is excluded into the empty place when therefore by touching of the keys the stops of the mouths of the Pipes are opened the trembling wind coming into the Pipes makes very pleasant trembling sounds which I have tried and found to be true CHAP. III. Of some Experiments by Wind-Instruments NOw will I proceed to the like Wind-Instruments but of divers sorts that arise by reason of the air and I shall shew how it is dilated contracted rarified by fire condensed by cold If you will That a vessel turned downwards shall draw in the water do thus Make a vessel with a very long neck the longer it is the greater wonder it will seem to be Let it be of transparent Glass that you may see the water running up fill this with boiling water and when it is very hot or setting the bottom of it to the fire that it may not presently wax cold the mouth being turned downwards that it may touch the water it will suck it all in So such as search out the nature of things say That by the Sun beams the water is drawn up from the Concave places of the Earth to the tops of Mountains whence fountains come forth And no small Arts arise from hence for Wind-Instruments as Heron affirms Vitruvius speaks the like concerning the original of Winds but now it is come to be used for houses For so may be made A vessel to cast forth wind You may make Brass Bowles or of some other matter let them be hollow and round with a very small hole in the middle that the water is put in at if this be use the former experiment when this is set at the fire it grows hot and being it hath no other vent it will blow strongly from thence but the blast will be moist and thick and of an ill savour You may also make A vessel that shall cast forth water There is carried about with us a Glass vessel made Pyramidal with a very narrow long mouth with which it casts water verâ— faâ— off That it may draw water suck out the air with your mouth as much as you can and presently thrust the mouth into the water for it will draw the water into it do so until a third part of it be filled with water When you will spouâ— the water afar off fill the vessel with air blowing into it as hard as you can presently take it from your mouth and incline the mouth of the vessel that the water may run to the mouth and stop the air and the air striving to break forth will cast the water out a great way But if you will without attraction of Air make water fly far with it heat the bottom of the vessel a little for the air being rarefied seeks for more place and striving to break forth drives the water before it Thus â—runkard making a little hole in a vessel of wine because the wine will not run out the mouth beinâ— stopt whereby the air might enter they will blow hard into that hole then as they leave off the wine will come forth in as great quantity as the air blowed in was Now I will shew How to make water ascend conveniently We can make water rise to the top of a Tower Let there be a leaden Pipe that may come from the bottom to the top of the Tower and go down again from the top to the bottom as a Conduit let one end stand in the water that we desire should rise the other end that must be longer and hang down lower must be fastned into a vessel of wood or earth that it may take no air at all let it have a hole above the vessel whereby the vessel may be filled with water and then be stopt perfectly Set a vessel on the top of the Tower as capacious as that beneath and the leaden pipe now spoke of must be fastned at one end of the vessel and go forth at the other end and must be in the upper part of the vessel and let the pipe be divided in the middle within the vessel and where the pipe enters and where the pipe goes out they must be joynted that they take no air when therefore we would have the water to ascend fill the vessel beneath with water and â—â—op it close that it take no air then opening the lower hole of the vessel the water will run forth for that part of water that runs out of the vessel will cause as much to rise up at the other end by the other leaden pipe and ascend above the Towâ—r the water drawn forth is filled up again we may make out use of it and the hole being stopt the lower vessel may be filled again with water and so doing we shall make the water to escend a ways We may also By heat alone make the water rise Let there be a vessel above the Tower either of Brass Clay or Wood Brass is best let there be a pipe in the middle of it that may
descend down to the water beneath and be set under it but fastned that it take no air let the vessel above be made hot by the Sun or fire for the air that is contained in the vessel rarefies and breathes forth whereupon we shall see the water rise into bubbles when the Sun is gone and the vessel grows cold the air is condensed and because the air included cannot fill up the vacuity the water is called in and ascends thither CHAP. IV. A discription of water Hour-glasses wherein Wind or Water-Instruments for to shew the Hours are described THe Antients had Hour-Dials made by water and Water-Dials were usual and famous Heron of Alexandria writ Books of Water-Dials but they are lost I have writ a Book of them and that this part may not be deficient I shall shew two that are made by contraries one by blowing in the air the other by sucking it out This shall be the first A Water-Dial Take a vessel of Glass like a Urinal it is described by the letters AB On the top is A where there is a very small hole that the point of a needle can scarce enter it at the bottom neer the mouth let there be set a staff EF that in the middle hath a firm Pillar going up to the very top of the vessel let the Pillar be divided with the Hour-lines Let there be also a wooden or earthen vessel GH full of water Upon the superficies of that water place the Glass vessel AB that by its weight will press toward the bottom but the air included within the vessel keeps it from going down then open the little hole A whereby the air going forth by degrees the vessel will gradually descend also Then make by another Dial the marks on the staff CD which descending will afterwards shew the Hourmarks When therefore the vessel goes to the bottom of the wooden vessel the Dial is done and it is the last Hour But when you would have your Dial go again you must have a crooked empty pipe OK the upper mouth K must be stopt with the finger K so K being stopt with the finger that the air may not enter sink it under the water that it may come within the vessel AB then put your mouth to K and blow into it for that will raise the vessel upward and it will come to its former place and work again I shall also describe for my minds sake Another Water-Dial contrary to the former namely by sucking in the air Let there be a Glass vessel like to a Urinal as I said AB and being empty set fast on it the vessel CD that it cannot sink down then fill it with water as far as B Let there be a hole neer the top E wherefore sucking the air by the hole E the water comes into the vessel AB from the vessel CD and will rise as high as FG when therefore AB is full of water stop the hole E that no air enter and the water will fall down again In the top of the vessel AB let there be another very small hole that the air may come in by degrees and so much as there comes in of air so much water will go forth On the superficies of the vessel make Hour-lines that may snew the Hours marked 1 2 3 c. or if you will let the Still fastned to a Cork swim on the top of the water and that will shew the Hours marked on the outside of the vessel CHAP. V. A description of Vessels casting forth water by reason of Air. NOw I will describe some Fountains or Vessels that by reason of air cast forth water and though Heron ingeniously described some yet will I set down some others that are artifically found out by me and other men Here is described A Fountain that casts forth water by compression of the Air Let there be a vessel of water-work close every where AB make a hole through the middle and let a little pipe CD go up from the bottom of the water-work vessel D so far from the bottom that the water may run forth Upon the superficies of the Tympanum let there be C a very little hole with a cover to it or let it have as the Greeks call it Smerismation to shut and open it handsomely and in the upper surface of the Tympanum bore the basis quite through with a little pipe which enters into the hollow of the Tympanum and having in the hole beneath a broad piece of leather or brass that the air coming in may not go back wherefore pour in water at E that it may be three fingers above the bottom then blow in air as vehemently as you can when it is well pressed in shut the mouth then opening the mouth A the water will fly up aloft until the air be weak I at Venice made a Tympanum with pipes of Glass and when the water was cast forth very far the Lord Estens much admired it to see the water fly so high and no visible thing to force it I also made another place neer this Fountain that let in light and when the air was extenuated so long as any light lasted the Fountain threw out water which was a thing of much admiration and yet but little labor To confirm this there is An Artifice whereby a hand-Gun may shoot a bullet without fire For by the air onely pressed is the blast made Let there be a hand Gun that is made hollow and very smooth which may be done with a round instrument of lead and with Emril-powder beaten rubbing all the parts with it Then you must have a round Instrument that is exactly plained on all parts that may perfectly go in at the mouth of the wind Gun and so fill it that no air may come forth let it be all smeer'd with oyl for the oyl by its grossness hinders any air to come forth So this lead Bullet being put into the Guns mouth and thrust down with great force and dexterity then presently take away your hands but you must first shut the little hole that is in the bottom of the hole and the bullet and little stick will fall to the bottom and by the violence of the air pressed together it will cast out the Bullet a great way and the stick too which is very strange Also I will make A Vessel wherewith as you drink the liquor shall be sprinkled about your face Make a vessel of Pewter or Silver like to a Urinal then make another vessel in the fashion of a Tunnel or a round Pyramis let their mouths be equal and joyn'd perfectly together for they must be of the same bredth let the spire of it be distant from the bottom of the Urinal a fingers breadth and let it be open then pour water into the vessel and fill the Urinal unto the hole of the spire end and fill the Tunnel to the top and the rest of the Urinal will be empty
because the air hath no place to get forth when therefore any man drinks when the water is drank up as far as the hole of the spire end by the air pressed within is the water thrust violently forth and flies in the face of him that drinks Also there is a vessel that no man can drink out of it but he who knows the art Make an earthen or metal vessel in form of a Bottle or Flagon and make it full of holes from the neck to the middle of the belly From the bottom let a pipe ascend by the handle of the vessel and the handle being round about it let it come above the brims of the vessel empty under the handle in a place not seen make a little hole that any man holding the vessel by the handle may with his finger stop and unstop this hole when he please under the brim of the vessel where you set it to your mouth let there be another secret hole Then pour water into the vessel if now any man put the bottle to his mouth and raiseth it to drink the water will run forth at the neck that is open and at the belly but he that knows the trick taking the vessel by the handle shuts the hole with his thumb and not moving the vessel he draws the air with his mouth for the water follows the air and so he drinks it all up but if any man suck and shut not the hole the water will not follow CHAP. VI. That we may use the Air in many Arts. VVE may use Air in many Artifices I shall set down some that I may give a hint to others to invent more And chiefly How wind may be made in a chamber that guests may almost freeze Make a deep pit and put in a sufficient quantity of river or running water let the pit be close stopt onely let a pipe convey it through the walls that it may be brought into the chamber Let the water be let down into the pit by a kind of Tunnel lest the air should come forth at the place where it goes in by the water is the air of the pit expelled and comes by the pipe into the chamber that not onely those that sleep there but such as converse there are extream cold and benummed I will shew How Air may serve for Bellows I saw this at Rome Make a little cellar that 's close on all sides pour in by a Tunnel from above a quantity of water on the top of the wall let there be a little hole at which the air may break forth with violence for it will come so forcibly that it will kindle a fire and serve for bellows for Brass and Iron-melting furnaces the Tunnel being so made that when need is it may be turned and water may be put in THE TWENTIETH BOOK OF Natural Magick The Chaos wherein the Experiments are set down without any Classical Order THE PROEME I Determined at the beginning of my Book to write Experiments that are contain'd in all Natural Sciences but by my business that called me off my mind was hindred so that I could not accomplish what I intended Since therefore I could not do what I would I must be willing to do what I can Therefore I shut up in this Book those Experiments that could be included in no Classes which were so diverse and various that they could not make up a Science or a Book and thereupon I have here heaped them altogether confusedly as what I had overpassed and if God please I will another time give you a more perfect Book Now you must rest content with these CHAP. I. How Sea-water may be made potable IT is no small commodity to mankinde if Sea-water may be made potable In long voyages as to the Indies it is of great concernment For whilst Sea men by reason of tempests are forced to stay longer at Sea than they would for want of water they fall into great danger of their lives Galleys are forced all most every ten days to put in for fresh water and therefore they cannot long wander in enemies countries nor go far for enemies stop their passages Moreover in sea Towns and Islands when they want water as in our days in the Island Malta and in the Syrses Souldiers and Inhabitants endured much hardness and Histories relate many such things Hence I thought it necessary to search curiously whether Sea-water might be made potable But it is impossible to finde out any thing for this how it may be done unless we first finde out the cause of its saltness and what our Ancestors have said concerning that matter especially since Aristotle saith That the salt may easily be taken from the Sea because the sea is not salt of its own Nature but by the Sun that heats the water which draws out of it cold and dry earthly exhalations to the top of it and these being there burnt cause it to be salt when the moist subtile parts are resolved into thin vapors We therefore imitating Nature by raising the thin parts by Chymical Instruments may easily make it sweet For so the Nature of the Sea makes sweet waters for the Rivers There are also veins of the Sea in the deep parts of the earth that are heated by the Sun and the vapours are elevated to the tops of the heighest Mountains where by the cold superficies they meet with they congeal into drops and dropping down by the vaulted roots of Caves they run forth in open streams We first fill a hollow vessel like a great Ball with Sea-water it must have a long neck and a cap upon it that live coles being put under the water may resolve into thin vapors and fill all vacuities being carryed aloft this ill sented grossness when it comes to touch the coldness of the head or cap and meets with the Glass gathers like dew about the skirts of it and so running down the arches of the cap it turns to water and a pipe being opened that pertains to it it runs forth largely and the receiver stands to receive it as it drops so will sweet water come from salt and the salt tarryeth at the bottom of the vessel and three pound of salt water will give two pounds of fresh water but if the cap of the limbeck be of Lead it will afford more water yet not so good For Galen saith That water that runs through pipes of Lead if it be drank will cause an excoriation of the intestines But I found a way How to get a greater quantity of fresh water when we distil salt water Make a cap of earth like to a Pyramis all full of holes that through the holes Urinals of Earth or Glass may be brought in Let their mouths stick forth well luâ—ed that the vapor may not exhale the cap after the fashion of the limbeck must have its pipe at the bottom running round and let it crop forth at the nose of it Set this upon a
for truth To make men seem like to Blackmores Take Ink but the best comes from Cutles mingle this with your Lamps and the flame will be black Anaxilaus is reported to have done this for oft-times by mingling Cutles Ink he made the standers by as black as Ethiopians Simeon Sethi saith That if any man shall dip a Wick in Cutles Ink and Verdigrease those that stand by will seem partly Brass-colour partly Black by reason of the mixture And we may imitate this in all colours for setting aside all other lights that might hinder it for else the other lights will spoil the sport and if you do it by day shut the windows lest the light come in there and destroy the delusion If the Lamp be green Glass and transparent that the rays coming through may be dyed by the colour of the medium which is of great consequence in this and green Coppras be mingled with the Oyl or what moysture it burns with and they be well ground together that the liquor may be green make your Cotten of some linnen of the same colour or bombast this being smeered with it must burn in that Lamp the light that is opposite against you will shew all faces of the beholders and other things to be green To make the face seem extream pale and lean This is easie pour into a large Glass very old Wine or Greek Wine and cast a handful of Salt into it set the Glass upon burning coles without flame lest the Glass should break it will presently boil put a Candle to it and light it then put out all other lights and it will make the faces of the standers by to be such that they will be one afraid of another The same falls out in shops where Bells and Metals are melted for they seem so strangely coloured in the dark that you would wonder at it their lips look pale wan and black and blew Also let Brimstone when it burns be set in the middle of the company and it will do the same more powerfully Anaxilaus the Philosopher was wont to work by such delusions For Brimstone put into a new cup and set on fire and carried about by the repercussion of it when it burns makes the company look pale and terrible That oft-times happened to me when at Naples I walked in the night in the Leucogean Mountains for the Brimstone burning of it self made me look so CHAP. X. Of some mechanical Experiments THere are some Experiments that are witty and not to be despised and are done by Simples without mixture which I thought not unfit to communicate to ingenuous Men and Artificers There is an Art called The flying Dragon or the Comet It is made thus Make a quadrangle of the small pieces of Reeds that the length may be to the breadth one and half inproportion put in two Diameters on the opposite parts or Angles where they cut one the other bind it with a small cord and of the same bigness let it be joyned with two others that proceed from the heads of the Engine Then cover it with paper or thin linnen that there be no burden to weigh upon it then from the top of a Tower or some high place send it out where the wind is equal and uniform not in to great winds lest they break the workmanship nor yet to small for if the wind be still it will not carry it up and the weak wind makes it less labour Let it not flye right forth but obliquely which is effected by a cord that comes from one end to the other and by the long tale which you shall make of cords of equal distance and papers tied unto them so being gently let forth it is to be guided by the Artificers hand who must not move it idly or sluggishly but forcibly so this flying Sayle flies into the air When it is raised a little for here the wind is broken by the windings of the houses you can hardly guide it or hold it with your hands Some place a Lanthorn upon it that it may shew like a Comet others put a Cracker of paper wherein Gun-power is roled and when it is in the air by the cord there is sent in a light match by a ring or some thing that will abide this presently flies to the Sayle and gives fire to the mouth of it and the Engine with a thundring noise flies into many parts and falls to the ground Others bind a Cat or Whelp and so they hear cries in the air Hence may an ingenuous Man take occasion to consider how to make a man flye by huge wings bound to his elbows and breast but he must from his childhood by degrees use to move them always in a higher place If any man think this a wonder let him consider what is reported that Archytas the Pythagorean did For many of the Noble Greeks and Favorinus the Philosopher the greatest searcher out of Antiquities have Written affirmatively that the frame of a Pigeon made in wood was formed by Archytas by some art and made to flie it was so balanced in the air by weights and moved by an aireal Spirit shut within it Soli Deo Gloria FINIS A TABLE containing the General Heads of NATURAL MAGICK The first Book Treating of wonderful things VVHat is meant by the name Magick Chap 1 The Nature of Magick Chap 2 Instruction of a Magitian what he ought to be Chap 3 Opinions of the Ancient Philosophers touching the causes of strange operations and first of the Elements Chap 4 Divers operations of Nature proceed from the essential forms of things Chap 5 Whence the form cometh of the Chain that Homer faigned and the Ring that Plato mentioneth Chap 6 Sympathy and Antipathy by them to finde the vertues of things Chap 7 From Heaven and the Stars things receive their force and thereby many things are wrought Chap 8 Attract the vertues of superior Bodies Chap 9 Knowledge of secrets dependeth upon the survey of the World Chap 10 Likeness of things sheweth their secret vertues Chap 11 Compound things by their likeness Chap 12 Particular creatures have particular gifts some in their whole body others in their parts Chap 13 Properties of things while they live and after death Chap 14 Simples to be gotten and used in their seasons Chap 15 Where they grow chiefly to be considered Chap 16 Properties of Places and Fountains commodious for this work Chap 17 Compounds work more forceably and how to compound and mix those simples which we would use in our mixtures Chap 18 Just weight of a mixture Chap 19 Prepare Simples Chap 20 The second Book Of the generation of Animals PUtrefaction and of a strange manner of producing living creatures Chap 1 Earthy Creatures generated of putrefaction Chap 2 Birds which are generated of the putrefaction of Plants Chap 3 Fishes which are generated of putrefaction Chap 4 New kinds of living creatures may be generated by copulation of divers beasts Chap 5 Dogs